New York Sign Museum: Preserving Advertising History and NYC Stories

The Noble Signs Mission

• 🎯 David Barnett and Mac Panka founded Noble Signs with a mission to rescue and preserve New York City's advertising history.
• 💡 They recognized that many signs, often taken for granted, tell unique stories and possess significant craft.
• 🗑️ Their goal is to prevent these historical pieces from ending up in the trash.

A Unique Museum and Business

• 🏛️ Their East New York building serves as both a small business and a museum, celebrating nostalgia and neon.
• 🖼️ The museum houses over 200 rescued signs, each with its own character and history.
• 💬 Examples include the Meat Market sign from Bed-Stuy and the Starlight Deli sign from Times Square.

Preserving New York's Identity

• 🎭 The museum offers tours, allowing visitors to learn about the signs that define New York.
• 🤝 Stories sometimes come full circle, like when the former owners of the Starlight Deli visited and were moved by the preservation of their sign.
• 👨‍🎨 David Barnett's personal connection to this work is rooted in his great-grandfather, a sign painter in New York.
• 💖 He believes these signs represent New Yorkers and a part of their collective identity, making their preservation crucial.

The Value of Preserving Local History

• 🌟 Preserving these signs ensures that a piece of the city's history and its stories live on, especially as businesses frequently open and close.
• 🏙️ The Starlight Deli sign, for instance, will now