Why this Kansas City man is ‘obsessed’ with finding vintage neon signs around town

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For the past 25 years, Rob Latimer has looked for signs wherever he goes in Kansas City. Not of the mystic variety, but the neon ones.

Whether the signs are promoting restaurants, theaters or churches, the graphic designer is “obsessed” with taking photos of vintage signs all around Kansas City and throughout the Midwest. He documents his findings on Instagram, @kcsignchaser .

While the forthcoming Lumi neon sign museum will put restored signs all in one place below KC’s new Ferris wheel, Latimer prefers to find his neon in the wild.

While some business owners prefer to remove the sign of the previous tenants, “there’s so many beautiful, iconic signs that kind of become landmarks,” Latimer said. Some great Kansas City signs include the Western Auto sign, the Town Topic ones and the Uptown Theater marquee.

Some of Latimer’s favorite signs in the Kansas City area are High Boy Burgers, off 40 Highway in Independence, and Blue Springs Bowl. Most of the signs he photographs were made in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Latimer especially likes a funky arrow or some kind of glass for alcohol on a sign.

Why KC man loves sign-hunting

This hobby acts as “creative renewal” for Latimer, who works as a graphic designer for greeting cards.

“I key into some of the type styles that are used or the way words interact with each other, interact with, you know, forms on the sign,” he said.

The hobby started as a lunch break diversion. In 1999, a boss at Hallmark suggested Latimer visit different signs in Kansas City, Kansas, and Independence for inspiration.

By now, Latimer’s midday excursions have turned into an intense obsession. During the pandemic, Latimer took day trips to photograph signs in small towns outside of Kansas City. In one day, Latimer would leave at 8 a.m and return at 8:30 p.m., visiting a number of small towns on the way.

Latimer said he’s visited all the small towns surrounding Kansas City. He wants to visit Denver and Los Angeles to photograph signs. When he travels, Latimer said, “it’s kind of become a problem, because I’m always wanting to shoot signs.”

How to find vintage signs

Even though Latimer has spent decades photographing signs around Kansas City, he keeps on discovering.

For over two years, Latimer searched Independence for a sign he had heard of that said “The Milk Jug.” When he finally took Truman Road the opposite direction he usually does, Latimer found the simple sign miraculously revealed behind a tree.

Here are tips for finding and photographing vintage neon signs, from Ron Latimer:

• Look for signs on the edges of small towns, and drive a different route than you took before to help spot them.

• When you find the sign, walk around it and under it to take in the piece.

• Experience the sign during the day and at night. Latimer said that you don’t know the color of the neon until it is turned on.

Do you have more questions about Kansas City landmarks? Contact the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com .