What Makes Up a Neon Sign?

The substance neon is a gas that is placed on the periodic table of elements and, according to Bright Neon Signs, takes its name from the Greek word "neos" which means new gas.

History

Bright Neon Signs reports the neon sign to be an advancement of the work of German physicist Heinrich Geissler and his Geissler tube.

Development

The first neon sign was developed by French nngineer Georges Claude in 1902. The first public exhibition of neon technology was at the Paris Expo in 1910. Bright Neon Signs reports that Claude displayed two 38-foot-long sealed glass tubes at the Expo.

Electricity

According to WebQuest, neon glows when an electrical charge is passed through it; to hold the gas in place it is sealed within a glass tube.

Glass

Neon signs are made up of glass tubes containing neon, and these glass tubes are used by neon artists who shape the tubes into patterns and words, according to WebQuest.

Marketing

Georges Claude patented the neon sign in 1915 before bringing the idea to the U.S. in 1923; neon signs became known as "liquid fire," according to Bright Neon Signs.

References

• WebQuest: The Art of Neon
• Bright Neon Signs: The History of Neon