AMERICAN SIGN MUSEUM, RIGHT HERE IN CINCINNATI.
IN CINCINNATI. >> BETWEEN THE FLASHING GLOW OF
MOTEL SIGNS, TO THE ALLURE OF
THE SPINNING SPUTNIC, IT'S HARD
TO KNOW WHERE TO START AT THE
AMERICAN SIGN MUSEUM, BUT
FOUNDER TOM SWARMSTET IS HAPPY
TO HELP.
TO HELP. HIS LOVE OF SIGNS IS NOT JUST A
HOBBY, IT'S A LEGACY.
FOR OVER A CENTURY, HIS FAMILY
HAS OWNED SIGN OF THE TIMES, A
TRADE JOURNAL FOR THE SIGN
INDUSTRY.
INDUSTRY. IN 2005, HE USED THAT EXPERTISE
TO CREATE FIRST PUBLIC SIGN
MUSEUM IN THE COUNTRY.
>> RIGHT NOW, THE COLLECTION IS
PROBABLY ABOUT 4200 OBJECTS.
WE ARE ALWAYS ACQUIRING MORE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EXACT
COUNT IS AT THIS MOMENT.
TO BREAK THAT DOWN, WE HAVE A
LITTLE OVER 600 SIGNS.
WHAT I'M REALLY TRYING TO DO IS
TO CREATE A RESPECT IN THE
PUBLIC FOR THE CRAFT OF SIGN
MAKING AND FOR THE DESIGN.
SIGNS HAVE MADE QUITE AN IMPACT
ON THE LANDSCAPE AND WHEN THE
PUBLIC IS OUT DRIVING AROUND AND
THEY SEE SIGNS, IT DOESN'T
REALLY REGISTER IN THEIR MINDS
THE IMPORTANCE OF SIGNS AND THE
CONTRIBUTION THAT THEY HAVE MADE
TO THE LANDSCAPE.
SO AS NEW TECHNOLOGIES EVOLVE,
EACH SMALL BUSINESS WOULD WANT
TO ONE UP THEIR NEIGHBOR TO HAVE
A SIGN THAT A PERSON GOING DOWN
THE STREET WOULD SEEN FIRST.
>> FOR MANY SMALL BUSINESSES,
SIGNS FUNCTIONED AS THEIR ONLY
SOURCE OF ADVERTISING.
THE COMPETITION TO BE SEEN
ADVANCED THE INDUSTRY, FROM THE
EARLIEST TRADE SIGNS OF THE
1800s TO THE THREE PERIODS OF
ELECTRIC SIGNS, LIGHT BULBS,
NEON AND MASTIC.
-- AND PLASTIC.
>> ONE WAY YOU CAN WALK THROUGH
THE MUSEUM IS TO DO A HISTORY OF
DESIGN TRENDS.
DESIGN TRENDS. I CAN ACTUALLY TRACK ART
NOUVEAU, ART DECO, WHAT I CALL
THE FUNKY '50s, INTO THE
MODERN LOOK OF THE '60s.
YOU CAN ALSO WALK THROUGH THE
MUSEUM FROM THE STANDPOINT OF
THE HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY.
WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE
MUSEUM, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT YOU
ARE WALKING THROUGH THE HISTORY
OF SIGNS, BUT WHAT YOU ARE
REALLY DOING IS TAKING A WALK
THROUGH THE HISTORY OF AMERICA
AS SEEN THROUGH THE HISTORY OF
SIGNS.
SIGNS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PIECES THAT
ACTUALLY ARE FROM IMPORTANT
POINT ON THE TIMELINE OF
AMERICAN HISTORY.
AMERICAN HISTORY. WE ACTUALLY HAVE A GUILDED PIECE
WHICH HAS THE PLEDGE OF
ALLEGIANCE.
ALLEGIANCE. NOW, THAT'S MISSING THE PHRASE
"UNDER GOD."
"UNDER GOD." FOR THOSE THAT KNOW THEIR
AMERICAN HISTORY, THAT "UNDER
GOD" PHRASE WAS ADDED IN 1953,
DURING THE McCARTHY ERA.
SO I KNOW THAT THE PLEDGE OF
ALLEGIANCE WAS DONE BEFORE 1953.
WHAT THE PUBLIC REALLY WANTS TO
SEE ARE SOME OF THE AMERICAN
ICONS.
ICONS. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR 1963 SPEEDY
McDONALD SIGN.
McDONALD SIGN. HERE WE HAVE ACTUALLY BUILT A
COMPLETE MAIN STREET WITH PERIOD
STOREFRONTS.
STOREFRONTS. EACH STORE FRONT IS DESIGNED
AROUND A SIGN WE HAVE.
WE HAD A LATE '40s CORNER BAR.
EACH STORE FRONT FEATURES SIGNS
FROM THAT ERA, AND THEN FINALLY,
THE WINDOWS OF THE STORE FRONT
BECOME OUR DISPLAY CASES AND
EACH WINDOW HAS GOT A THEME.
FOR EXAMPLE, THAT HARDWARE STORE
I TALKED ABOUT, THE THEME FOR
ITS WINDOWS IS NEON SALES.
>> AND IT'S HERE THAT VISITORS
START TO SEE THE TRUE EXTENT OF
THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION.
ANYTHING RELATED TO SIGN MAKING
OR SIGN DESIGN CAN BE FOUND ON
DISPLAY, FROM TOOLS AND
EQUIPMENT, TO PHOTOS AND
BLUEPRINTS.
BLUEPRINTS. >> MOST PEOPLE'S EXPECTATIONS
WHEN THEY HEAR A SIGN MUSEUM,
WHAT COMES TO MIND TO THEM IS A
BARN WITH A BUNCH OF RUSTY OLD
SIGNS.
SIGNS. WE TRY TO TEACH THEM ABOUT THE
VALUE OF SIGNS AND EDUCATE THEM
ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND HOW SIGNS
HAVE CHANGED AND IT'S REALLY A
WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE.
THE THING ABOUT THE MEMORIES IS
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD MEMORIES, LIKE
THE FIRST KISS AT A DRIVE-IN OR
THAT DINER WHERE YOU ATE WITH
GRANDMA AND GRANDPA.
THESE ARE ALWAYS GOOD MEMORIES
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S HARD
TO CAPTURE THESE DAYS.
AS FAR AS WHAT THE MUSEUM MEANS
TO ME, I HAVE TOLD PEOPLE I HAVE
THE BEST JOB IN THE SIGN
INDUSTRY.
INDUSTRY. THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO DO.
IT'S A VERY REWARDING THING FOR
ME.
ME. WHEN I PEOPLE COME TO THE MUSEUM
AND THEIR EYES LIGHT UP AND THEY
START REMEMBERING THESE SIGNS,
THAT'S WHAT REALLY