SAN FRANCISCO NEON:
SURVIVORS AND LOST ICONS
A lush portrait of San Francisco’s historic neon landscape.
Authors/photographers: Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan
Softcover edition copies available to ship now!
$33 plus shipping. Ready to ship!
Contact us for wholesale and international orders.
ABOUT THIS BOOK
- Softcover book with 200+ color photographs
- San Francisco/photography essay by local award-winning travel writer Tom Downs.
- Neon preservation notes by Eric Lynxwiler, neon sign art expert and board president of the Museum of Neon Art (MONA).
- Endnotes on sign history and index by neighborhood indicating which neon signs still light up at night.
“Just when you thought you knew everything about San Francisco, along comes a new book, San Francisco Neon: Survivors and Lost Icons. With beautiful photography, paging through is like strolling down the streets of a familiar city with a new vantage point. You’ll never look at San Francisco streets in quite the same way again…” —Andrew Danish, author of Palm Springs Weekend (Chronicle Books)
Chinatown Neon Walking Tour
Sat 12/14 | Register
4:00 pm and 4:15 pm tours
Walk with us to find forgotten vintage neon signs in the streets of Chinatown, back alleys and backstories are included. It is a treasure hunt to discover these beautiful signs hidden in plain sight. We save the best for last: the glowing signs are at the end of the tour at twilight. Tour led by SF Neon founders Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan with neighborhood history and architectural/graphic design insights to the legacy of vintage neon signs, each one made by hand. Be prepared to walk for 1.5 hours, with rest stops.
Lower Nob Hill Walking Tour
Fri 12/20 | Register
5:00 pm and 5:15 pm
From gritty to glittery, zig zag through the historic corridors of Post, Sutter, and Bush Streets; vintage neon glows all along the way. This tour wanders through the residential neighborhood below Nob Hill mansions and above the Tenderloin District. Discover these unique storefronts and signs perched above local watering holes, small hotels, corner stores, beautiful garages, and old-school eateries. Tour led by Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan and features neighborhood history with architectural/design insights. Be prepared to walk for approximately 1.5 hours, 1 block uphill. Photography encouraged.
Cow Hollow Neon Walking Tour
Sat 1/4 | Register
5:15 pm
Wander between Lombard and Chestnut Streets and discover vintage neon signs for motels, movie theaters, donuts, and a diving lady. Spend an evening under the neon glow with SF Neon authors and photographers Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan. Tours feature local history with architectural and graphic design insights to San Francisco’s unique legacy of surviving neon signs. Photography and a lively Q&A are encouraged. Be prepared to walk 1.5 hours, with rest stops. Tour starts just before twilight,.
Roxie-Mission Neon Walking Tour
Sat 1/25 | Register
5:15 pm
The Mission District of San Francisco has an a rich collection of neon and legacy businesses: from bars and barbershops to grocery stores and cinema treasures. Take a twilight tour with SF Neon authors Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan. This tour features eclectic local history with architectural and graphic design insights to San Francisco’s unique legacy of surviving neon signs. It is a treasure hunt to discover these beautiful signs in the heart of this vibrant neighborhood. Be prepared to walk for 1.5 hours with rest stops. Photography encouraged.
ONLINE NEON BOOK STORE
Visit our online neon bookstore for a list of books published by Giant Orange Press, the publishing arm of SF Neon and Neon Speaks Festival and Symposium. Fast U.S. shipping. Contact us for international orders and bookstore orders.
Photo: Al Barna
Neon Speaks 2024
Festival & Symposium
Recordings: Watch On-Demand through 2024
Register now for access to all Neon Speaks 2024 recordings on YouTube!
The 7th annual Neon Speaks was a full of sell-out crowd for online and live events over 5 days. We keep live events small to give neon artists, sign makers, and preservationists a space to grow stronger by sharing neon preservation stories, techniques, design, and culture.
NEON PODCASTS
99 PERCENT INVISIBLE
Listen to “Tube Benders”, a deep dive into the topic of neon signs, featuring John Law, Shawna Peterson, and SF Neon. Produced by Avery Trufleman of 99% Invisible, a KALW NPR radio show on architecture and design.
MUNI DIARIES
Listen to an illuminating story told by SF Neon authors Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan “SF Neon tells the story of the giant neon dancing leg of Mason Street.” Produced by the MuniDiaries.com, This is a San Francisco neon mystery that remains unsolved!
SF Neon T-shirts: Limited Editions
Each year for Neon Speaks we design a new limited edition t-shirt. High quality printing, 100% cotton. We still have a few different designs, while they last.