KCRag Forum

This thread is devoted to Kansas City advertising, billboards, and signs that promote KC businesses or retail shops; are stand-alone signage, or on building roofs or sides.

I am starting out with examples of vintage roof signage using painted lighted signs, old-fashioned light bulb signs, or neon.

Buildings with signs on roof

Butler Motor Company, Dodge Brothers Motor Car, 26th and Grand



Tropics Lounge at the Hotel Phillips

Boley Clothing Co.



Western Auto



Coca Cola Building



Firestone Building (now Abdiana) from Hospital Hill

Commerce Trust Co., Kansas City Post, and Mitchell's Department Store



National Reserve Bank, Victor Building, Bell Telephone, and Commerce Trust. 10th and Main



Palace Clothing Store (left) and Victor Building (right)



Lee Building, Owl Drug, Globe Department Store, The Jones Store, and the Victor Building

Loose-Wiles Biscuit Co./Sunshine Biscuit, West Bottoms



Westgate Hotel, 9th and Main







Kissel-Saxon Passenger Cars & Trucks, Pershing and McGee

Owl Cigar, Tom Moore Cigar, and Stickney's Chancellor Cigar signs near 9th and Main.





Tom Moore Cigars and Owl Cigars signs. at 12th and Grand.

Bonfils and Palace Clothing Co. signs at 12th and Grand



Palace Clothing Co. roof sign (center top) and Pantages Theater blade.



Union Bank Note Co. at 10th and Central



Century Theatre (Folly)

My favorite sign was the Conoco "Hottest Brand Going" smoking sign at 7th Street and SW. Blvd.

Taystee Bread: Baked While You Sleep.

Sportster
...enjoy a "mickey" banana flip today!

Rahe Auto and Tractor School



Business Men's Assurance Company Building



Sweeney Automobile and Tractor School





Signboard Hill



https://kchistory.org/islandora/object/ ... m/OBJ/view

Kansas City Journal Post



City National Bank Building / Republic Bank



Grand Avenue Bank

National Auto Parts Lot on the northeast corner of 19th and Oak Streets; shows National Auto Parts wrecking company lot at 1829 Oak;  Aladdin Hotel and Mogen David billboards.


Argyle Building with sign advertising Empress Burlesque Theatre across the street.



Empress Theater on the NW corner at 12th and McGee



Gayety Burlesque Theatre at 12th and Wyandotte



Gayety Theatre arcade



Looking down 12th Street at the Gayety Burlesque roof sign.



12th and Baltimore before the Muehlebach Hotel was constructed. Part of the Gayety Theatre can be seen to the right.

And people want to homogenize the city by outlawing billboards etc.  I think they are a big part of the urban "fabric" of a city and the few that are left Downtown from the massive Western Auto and Abdiana signs to the smaller structures that dot the crossroads district on the big rusted out metal structures should be left right where they are!

I've always like billboards. I think the ban is a stupid idea.  I like looking at the signs and advertising in old photos.  Sometimes it's the only way to find out what was in a building, or what companies used to be in Kansas City.  In fact, I wish the one percent for art program would repaint all the old ads and signs on buildings that are faded.  I think they would add some charm and vibrancy to the environment. One of my favorite painted signs is gone with the building of Power & Light: "See the River Quay."  I wish they would paint a new sign somewhere else to replace it.

Call it a personal quirk, but I don't like buildings that have no indication what or whom is inside.  I also hate this trend of naming buildings after their street address.  I still prefer calling 909 Walnut the Fidelity Bank & Trust Building. When I refer to buildings named after their street address, I find people often don't have a clue which building I'm talking about.

GRID wrote: And people want to homogenize the city by outlawing billboards etc.  I think they are a big part of the urban "fabric" of a city and the few that are left Downtown from the massive Western Auto and Abdiana signs to the smaller structures that dot the crossroads district on the big rusted out metal structures should be left right where they are!

What people?

The area around Pershing Road and Washington Square Park called Signboard Hill.   The Westin Hotel is there now.











The freight yards north of Washington Square Park.

The intersection of 12th and Grand had the Clemon's sign on the Bonfil's store, as well as a sign for the Regent Theater next door on 12th.  Davidson's Furniture's sign is present on the side of their building.





Across the street, the Palace Clothing Company had a large, roof sign.

Fang, wouldn't the Clemons sign have been above the Wonderland Arcade?

You are exactly right Loftguy. The Wonderland Arcade was in the Bonfil's Building.  I call it that because it's on the historic register under that name.  The photos are from 1950 and 1978.

Signs on the Old Coates House Hotel on the SE corner of 10th and Broadway.