Simply gutted today to see gouges in the wall of the shuttered Charlie O's / Down N' Out bar at the Alexandria Hotel, where the Guv'nor's Grille mascot raised his glass of cheer from 1961 until quite recently. A pox on the fink who took him! #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks #DTLA

We're sort of obsessed with the too naturalistic shrimp that adorn Carniceria Dos Amigos in Norwalk. #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks #bugsofthesea

Incandescent squiggle arrow/star sign and a fantastic double torchiere Art Deco streetlight on Lincoln in the city of Cypress. This wee storefront used to be a library branch. #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks

The Jade Palace totem is a rare retro survivor on Stanton's motel row. #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks #ipulledoverforthis

Old school ad technique in play on Beach Boulevard, Westminster. #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks

Korker Liquor has been keeping Corona del Mar lubricated since the 1950s... and the phone number is STILL ORiole 3-0916! #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks

What the hell, East Hollywood?! Did nobody notice these Sipsy people getting a permit to DESTROY the greatest neon liquor store sign on Beverly Boulevard, and scraping off the magnificent Beverly Mart signage to boot? This is a cultural crime! #signgeeks #esotouricroadtrip

Spied from the window of the Raymond Chandler tour bus: Dr. John McKenna's Ambassador Dog & Cat Hospital (est. 1927). Wonder if Ray and Cissy's fluffy pal Taki ever rode in the pet taxi that picked up ailing patients? #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks

Up on the roof of the Olympic Hotel in Westlake, digging the arch sign as seen in Bosch. Down below, AIDS Healthcare Foundation's crew is renovating neglected SRO rooms, many of them empty, as what they're supposed to be: deeply affordable housing. #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks

Insta 2yrs ago: This is the way. #beachtown #neighborhood #hermosabeach #streetscene #signage #signgeeks #lightandshadow #doorway #besafe #getyourshot #losangeles #california https://osoporto.com

If you're a Hollywood kid, you can smell this photo. Thanks to photographer Peter Mackertich for the deep fried madeleine, circa 1977-78 judging by gas prices. #signgeeks #roadsideamerica

He is risen in South Los Angeles. #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks #handpaintedsigns

This folk art beauty salon on Ascot near Vernon is a century old mixed-use structure, with living quarters in back. We love the awning tricked out with barber pole stripes, and the portraits--they are so pure. #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks #handpaintedsigns

As the Proper Hotel gets a preservation award from the L.A. Conservancy, we're bummed to see they have not yet complied with the 9/28/2022 LADBS order to restore the illegally buffed out ghost signs and take down the unpermitted beer ad. #esotouricroadtrip #DTLA #signgeeks

The Lindy Hotel on 8th Street was a modest inn in boomtown L.A., but its owner took pride in the old place, installing a sweet magic carpet of terrazzo that still beckons. “75¢/DAY up. All outside rooms!” (1936) #esotouricroadtrip #dtla #signgeeks

Funny how day lit neon and a green guitar can lift the spirits. #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks #dtla

We still find it so disorienting that Broadway is a ghost town and are grateful for our years taking tour groups through when the street was alive with commerce and characters. Jose Huizar and his crooked crew cut out L.A.'s heart for money. #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks #DTLA

When Dr. Samuel M. Marcus wasn't testifying in mid-century murder case sanity hearings, he was expanding his motel empire to create the sprawling Holiday Lodge complex at 3rd & Loma. The atomic and lariat signs and basket weave grill still delight! #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks

We dream of the day that LA's Viking District gets a smorgasbord restaurant. Until that time, IHOP has lingonberry crepes. #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks

Where can a thirsty soul get a drink in this godforsaken burg...OH! That's Ocean Liquor, Alvarado and Eighth. #esotouricroadtrip #signgeeks