Fun Facts About Neon Lights
Neon lights are a staple of American culture. As of 2010, all neon signs are crafted by hand. Glass tubes are heated over a flame and bent into shapes (usually letters). After that, neon gas is injected inside the tube to give it a desired glow. Does this Spark an idea?
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Early History
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In 1898, English chemist Morris Travers and Scottish chemist William Ramsey cooled a sample of the atmosphere until it became a liquid. Ramsey then captured the gases within after boiling the liquid, one of which was neon.
Size Matters
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"Vegas Vic," a 75 foot tall neon cowboy that resides on Fremont Street in Nevada, is the largest mechanical neon sign in the world. Vegas doesn't have an exclusive on big neon signs though. In Michigan, for example, the Jack Rabbit Beans neon sign stands 35 feet tall and has a width of 50 inches. It was the largest neon sign in that state as of 2010.
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Advertising
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Georges Claude invented neon tubing and applied for a patent for his invention in 1911. This led to neon tubing as a vehicle for advertising starting in the 1920s. In 1922, The Packard Agency became the first company in America to use neon lights to advertise their products.
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