Museum of Vancouver exhibit shows city's history of vintage neon signs
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In the 1950s, tens of thousands of neon signs lit up Vancouver’s streets – even more than were displayed in Las Vegas.
While some residents saw the signs as a representation of big city life, others thought that 19,000 of them ruined the natural beauty of Vancouver.
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An exhibit at the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) will immerse you in the city’s bright past and delve into the divide that changed its urban landscape.
Museum of Vancouver
On until spring 2022, Neon Vancouver | Ugly Vancouver features a collection of flashy signs dating back to the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Some are being lit for the first time since they were recovered from junkyards.
From office furniture to funeral directors, the signs once appeared across an array of shops and businesses.
Amongst the bright lights is “the tale of how the city went through a war of aesthetics that resulted in a transition of the very way Vancouver imagines itself,” MOV’s website reads.
Museum of Vancouver
Neon Vancouver | Ugly Vancouver
When:Â Until spring 2022.
Where: Museum of Vancouver — 1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver
Tickets:Â Online
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