Bowmac, 1154 Broadway Photographed by Troy Whitbread The Bowmac sign was constructed in 1958 on Broadway, which was Vancouver's Auto Row at the time. A number of car dealers, notably the Dueck and Deely dealerships, had begun erecting a number of increasingly large signs to attract attention. The Bowmac dealership countered with a 29 m (80-foot) high orange sign illuminated with red neon and hundreds of flashing light bulbs. The background was repainted to the current red and blue colours. It was the tallest structure outside of downtown and briefly, it was the largest freestanding sign in North America. When illuminated it could be seen as far as 18 miles away. Apparently, Jimmy Pattison was pleased with his first sign which prompted him to purchase the company that built it, Neon Products. Some of the sign's notable features include: its colossal size; its extravagant use of 1950's technology (i.e., over 1,200 incandescent light bulbs and extensive neon lighting); the characteristic 1950's letter font; and the Las Vegas style marquee base with kinetic lighting. The Bowmac sign is distinct from other Vancouver neon signs. It is a city landmark because of its size and its position on the West Broadway route. This photograph, taken in August of 1999, shows how although Toy's R Us has bought the location and landmark, it has left the original sign behind.

Bob's Sporting Goods	Index	Burrard Inn