Copal Grill neon sign resurfaces on Craigslist - Charlotte Observer
The 68-year-old sign – believed to be the area’s first freestanding neon advertisement – had been missing from the public eye since 2009, when the classic roadside diner was torn down to make way for road improvements. Tom Hanchett, historian with the Levine Museum of the New South, says he’s surprised the sign ended up on Craigslist, but that’s not the worst fate he could imagine. “The neon signs of Charlotte often go into the Dumpster, because they are not old enough to seem worth anything to anybody,” said Hanchett, who applauds Spears for caring enough about the sign to bring it home. “The fact that stuff like this ends up on Craigslist tells you how fast American culture is changing, and it’s changing faster in Charlotte than anywhere else. Coincidentally, the Levine Museum stepped up in 2006 to save another among the city’s famous restaurant signs. The sign for the Athens restaurant remains in storage at the museum, awaiting some future plan for display. A sign’s rich history Historians and collectors alike value the Copal sign but for different. Source: www.charlotteobserver.com
