You can’t even watch the History Channel about the sun without them equating the sun to neon signs. There are symbolic signs which were made by man such as zodiac signs,  also available are signs of compatibility which are used to guide us to right person.  There are signs that help people communicate without vocal sounds such as sign language.   Sign language has been taught to babies so that they can learn to communicate before they learn to vocalize what they want.

Signs, without them how would businesses be able to tell us where they are located.   How would customers be able to find the businesses location without a business sign?   Businesses are not the only ones who need signs, consumers need them to sell their things;  to warn other people about their dogs; and to welcome people to their homes.

Do you realize how many different types of signs there are?   Neon signs are used to be seen at night so that you can still find the business;  such as open or closed signs.   Magnetic signs are found on cars or trucks to advertise a business.   Plastic or vinyl signs are used to advertise a special sale going on at a business.    Metal signs are used for a variety of reasons:  for parking,  for stopping,  for personal fun,  and for many other things.    Vintage signs are usually for restaurants or bars to decorate their business and consumers that want to decorate their homes with signs that have meaning to them.

The word neon comes from the Greek word neos, meaning - the new gas. Neon is a rare gaseous element present in the atmosphere (it is 1 part in 65,000 of air). Neon is created by liquefaction of air and separated from other gases by factional distillation.

Now let us go back to the beginning of how neon signs came about.

In 1643, the barometer was invented by Evangelistia Torricell; this device is used to measure atmospheric pressure (there are two kinds - mercury and aneroid).   In 1675, French astronomer Jean Picard saw a slight glow in a mercury barometer tube.   A glow called a barometric light happened when he shook the tube; static electricity was the cause of that light (although static electricity and barometric light were not known at that time, it was looked into by scientists).   After the principles of electricity were discovered by scientists; many forms of lighting were developed.   One such light form was invented in 1855 by Heinrich Geissler.   Named after him,  this German glassblower came up with the geissler tube - where gas in the tube was placed under low pressure and a electrical charge was then applied which made the gas glow.   Many scientists experimented with electric power,  electrical generators were invented by applying that power to tubes of gas.    Around the 1900’s lamps were created which used gas within a clear container to make discharge or vapor lamps.

In 1898,  very shortly after scientists  discovered the element krypton,  neon gas was discovered by William Ramsey and M.W. Traversin in London, England.   Both elements were discovered through work on liquid air.   A little later they discovered xenon using similar methods.    Georges Claude a French engineer, chemist and inventor in 1902 was the first to use neon gas.   He used the neon gas in a sealed tube with an electrical discharge to create a lamp.    This lamp was introduced on December 11, 1910 in Paris, France.   His company Claude Neon introduced neon signs in 1923 to the U.S. by selling 2 signs that read “Packard” for $24,000 to Earle C. Anthony a Packard car dealer in Los Angeles.   Neon signs became popular for outdoor advertising because of being visible at night or day.   Before neon signs, a man named Moore made commercial sign tubes that used a carbon dioxide fill.

Facts about neon.

Red is the color neon gas produces;  it glows even at atmospheric pressure.   There are now 150 colors which are created using argon, mercury and phosphor (this does not include red).    Regardless of the gas filling, neon tubes refer to all positive-column discharge lamps.   The colors were discovered in this order blue(mercury),  white(C02),  gold(Helium),  red(neon),  and then different colors from phosphor-coated tubes.    Pastel colors are available from phosphors,  the mercury spectrum is rich in ultraviolet light which in turn excites a phosphor coating on the inside of the tube then glows.

The above are dry facts but at the same time it is interesting that mankind is so inventive and creative and that mankind is able to keep improving their lives with these inventions or discoveries.  It is hard to believe how far we have come since the above mentioned dates.  We now have many different other types of illuminating lights that can be used for signs.