Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

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FangKC
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Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

Post by FangKC »

Two local men hope to create a neon museum.

Veteran Ad Men Plan Bright Future For Kansas City's Old Neon Signs

http://www.kcur.org/post/veteran-ad-men ... s#stream/0

http://www.thelumineonmuseum.org/

If they create this museum, I hope they can figure out how to power it using solar panels. Big neon signs can use a lot of electricity.
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rxlexi
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

Post by rxlexi »

Thanks for posting Fang.

I love this idea, and hope it comes to fruition with a wide variety of signs in an interesting, central-ish location (maybe Electric Park in the East Bottoms?).

I've always wanted to visit The Neon Museum in Las Vegas (https://www.neonmuseum.org/), which does both self-guided and hour-long guided tours that describe city and casino history.

If Lumi becomes a reality and can create anything resembling to a similar experience, it would be a big culture win for KC.
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

Post by FangKC »

During the interview on camera KMBC did with Vedros, I noticed in the background the Dixie Lan Bar-B-Que sign from the Jazz District.

https://tinyurl.com/y8urwtpa

Sign collector trying to raise funds for KC Neon Museum
...
Usually that story is associated with a business, but when the business is no more, neon signs often go dark and most are thrown away.

Vedros said it's Kansas City history that's being tossed into landfills.

"I said, 'Oh, my gosh. We can't let that thing go to the dump," Vedros said, recalling the first neon sign he rescued from The Crick Camera Shop.

A freelance photographer, Vedros bought his first camera at Crick and could not imagine never seeing that sign again when the shop closed in 2017.

That single sign inspired an entire mission.

Ever since, Vedros has been saving signs from iconic businesses that have closed in our area.

He's up to a couple dozen now, including: Chubby's Diner, Fun House Pizza, Crest Drug Store, Swirk Jewelry, I-70 Drive In, Tomfooleries, and the iconic Winstead's sign from a closed location in the Northland.
...
https://www.gofundme.com/the-lumi-neon-museum

https://www.kmbc.com/article/sign-colle ... m/25988883
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

Post by FangKC »

I saw on Facebook (Local Kansas City History Buffs) that the Dixielan Bar-B-Q sign that used to hang on the building on the NW corner of 19th and Vine will be refurbished and lit in the Lumi Neon Museum.
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

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Internationally recognized KC photographer collects 35th neon sign

4 Acre Motel neon sign on Hickman Mills Road saved.

https://www.kctv5.com/news/local_news/i ... user-share
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

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Historic Broadway Hardware Co. sign moving to new home
...
The Broadway Hardware Company sign that has been hanging on Westport Road for decades will be heading to a new home.

The sign is headed to Lumi -- a local neon light museum where it will be restored before going on display inside the museum's showroom.
...
https://www.kmbc.com/article/historic-b ... e/32446496
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

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Lumi accepts donation of Harzfeld's Department Store neon sign.

https://www.facebook.com/thelumimuseum/ ... 8721421646
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

Post by FangKC »

Kevin Collison is reporting that the board of the Lumi Neon Museum is looking for a downtown location to display the signs they have collected. He also reports that the museum is seeking to recreate the Katz Drug sign, and looking for a location to display it. It seems the developers of the Katz Drug on Main and Westport should jump all over that.
Photographer Wants to Brighten Downtown with Neon Museum
...
He and his supporters have collected 56 old signs from such iconic local businesses as Harzfeld’s, Winstead’s, Cascone’s Grill, the I-70 Drive-in and Stephenson’s Restaurant. They’ve restored 19 of them and are seeking about $300,000 to salvage the remainder.
...
Lumi also is recreating some of the city’s neon past. It’s fabricating a replica of the famed Katz Drugstore sign, its smiling cat one of the city’s most beloved images, and hopes to find a high-profile home for it as well.
...
https://cityscenekc.com/photographer-wa ... atoMfredL0

Where should this museum be?

Would this be a good re-use for the Kansas City Star press pavilion?

https://thelumineonmuseum.org/

The Kansas City Automotive Museum is also looking for a permanent location. It just seems combining these collections makes sense. I think the car museum has some neon signs in their collection as well.

https://www.kansascityautomuseum.com/exhibit
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

Post by moderne »

Also include the advertising icon museum.
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

Post by dukuboy1 »

I like idea of combining the care & Neon museum. Plus advertising in general as a lot of it has to do with the history of automobiles as well. Could be a unique idea.
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

Post by zonk »

[/quote]The Kansas City Automotive Museum is also looking for a permanent location. It just seems combining these collections makes sense. I think the car museum has some neon signs in their collection as well. [/quote]

This in the works. KCAM already exhibits some Lumi items in their existing facility.
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

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Has anyone been inside the KC Star press pavilion to get a sense of the layout, and if it could easily be adapted into a display museum?
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

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Lumi showing creation of the Katz Drug sign.

https://www.facebook.com/thelumimuseum/ ... 302482553/
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

Post by Highlander »

FangKC wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 5:03 pm Has anyone been inside the KC Star press pavilion to get a sense of the layout, and if it could easily be adapted into a display museum?
That would be the ideal place for such a museum. It would be great if McLatchy would simply donate the building as restitution for utterly failing as a hometown news paper (they even print the Star in Des Moines now).
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

Post by FangKC »

McClatchy doesn't own the building any longer. Ambassador Hospitality LLC owns the building. The KC Star will move out by the end of 2021.

https://jimmycsays.com/2019/05/15/star- ... -to-build/


I found a PDF file from the leasing agent. It's still hard to see the layout of this building, and what it would look like with all the press and scaffolding around the press removed. It would also be helpful if the leasing agent provided the floor plans.

https://kessingerhunter.com/wp-content/ ... 1McGee.pdf

Leasing agent.

https://kessingerhunter.com/properties/262-1601-McGee/
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

Post by FangKC »

If I were a very rich person, I'd buy this collection of arcade games and donate it to the auto museum/neon museum inside the former KC Star Press Pavilion. Maybe it should go to the Toy and Minature Museum instead. What say you all?

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/loca ... l/2687397/
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

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They fought to end Lee’s Summit’s neon ban; now they’re relighting a grinning, spinning Katz face in KC
...
Lumi hired Fossil Forge to recreate the Katz sign, featuring the iconic cat’s face that once adorned Katz Drug Stores, cans of Katz beer and even the Kansas City Katz amateur baseball club.

“Imagine if you took a walk to the Crossroads and see this crazy, spinning cat head. It will be the coolest thing in town,” Eames said.
...
https://www.startlandnews.com/2022/02/f ... orge-neon/
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

Post by TheSmokinPun »

Pretty cool stuff. Probably should have rewritten the first part about Katz becoming CVS because it makes it sound more like they didn't get bought up decades ago by other purchased companies.
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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

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Re: Lumi Neon Museum Kansas City

Post by FangKC »

Looks like Lumi has the Davey's Uptown Rambler's Club sign.

https://www.facebook.com/thelumimuseum/ ... 0924697750
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