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Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
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[James L. Dix collection of Southern California electric sign photographs].
Collection Number:
Collection Overview

Title:

[James L. Dix collection of Southern California electric sign photographs]

Creator/Contributor:

Dix, James L., creator, artist.

Abstract:

Albums containing photographs of electric sign designs by James L. Dix, a Los Angeles-based designer, and photographs of actual signs based on his designs. Signs depicted, chiefly in the Southern California region, are representative of midcentury modern commercial design. Some identified establishments include Denny's, Nese Beauty, Rainbow Liquor, LV Bowl, Montebello Sanitary Dairy, Britt's, University Savings, Barker Bros., Key Drive-In, Holiday Theatre, Century Mall, Han's TV Center, Fred's Inn and Mission Plaza. Also includes two letters addressed to Dix, notifying him of prizes awarded for his designs: one from the General Electric Company (1961), when Dix was employed at the Advance Neon Sign Co.; the other from National Electric Sign Association (1964), when Dix was employed at Federal Sign & Signal Corp.

Date:

1960 (issued)

Subject:

n-us-ca
Electric signs -- California -- Photographs
Electric signs -- Design and construction
Midcentury modern (Architecture) -- California -- Photographs
Electric signs
Electric signs -- Design and construction
Midcentury modern (Architecture)
California
Dix, James L -- Correspondence

Note:

Title devised by cataloger.
Possibly compiled by James L. Dix, the addressee of two letters contained in collection, and whose signature ("Dix") is present on the design drawings.
Cover text of one album (vol. 1): "Heath & Company, Electrical Advertising / Store Fronts". Name inscribed inside front cover of this album: "E. Haynes".
One album (vol. 2) was disassembled by library staff for preservation. Plastic comb binding and non-archival plastic sheet protectors removed. The backs of some photographs have adhesive residue from mounting prior to their housing in the volume received by the library.
Purchase from Schoyer's ; 2003.
James L. Dix collection of Southern California electric sign photographs, BANC PIC 2003.144, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Type:

graphic
Personal correspondence.
Photographs.
Photograph albums.

Physical Description:

photoprint
32 photographs in 2 albums, stored in 1 box : black & white and color prints ; prints 21 x 26 cm or smaller, albums 28 x 24 cm

Language:

English

Origin:

No place, unknown, or undetermined