NEON FACTS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN

Here at A1 DeSIGNS we love neon (you might have guessed). After all neon is unique. Glass tubes that are hand bent to a design, offering a unique way to create both art pieces or neon signs, fully recyclable, long lasting and versatile – neon offers an unrivalled way to liven up any space. But did you know that neon is used in TV sets and lasers? Nowadays liquid neon is commercially available and used as cryogenic refrigerant, so it’s not just common on the streets of Las Vegas, it’s in your home as well! Here are five other neon facts that might surprise you… THE FIRST NEON LIGHT SIGN WAS SOLD IN 1912 In 1912, Georges Claude’s associate, Jacques Fonseque sold the first neon advertising sign to a barber in Paris in 1912. Next, in 1913 3 ½ foot tall letters were installed on the Champs-Elysees, they spelt out ‘CINZANO’, the name of the famous Cinzano company which manufactured Italian products. REAL NEON LIGHTS ARE ONLY REDDISH-ORANGE COLOURS One of the lesser-known neon facts is that there is only one colour for neon. When you fill a clear tube with pure neon gas, it lights up a reddish-orange colour and is that warm glow that is often thought of when neon is mentioned. To obtain other colours, there are a variety of methods used that include powder coated tubes, combining neon with other noble gases such as Argon, or even using coloured glass tubes. In some cases, all of the above are done to achieve some of the most vibrant colours you will see. THE FIRST NEON LIGHT SIGN WAS SOLD IN 1912 In 1912, Georges Claude’s associate, Jacques Fonseque sold the first neon advertising sign to a barber in Paris in 1912. Next, in 1913 3 ½ foot tall letters were installed on the Champs-Elysees, they spelt out ‘CINZANO’, the name of the famous Cinzano company which manufactured Italian products. A NEON TUBE CAN LAST A VERY LONG TIME The average life span of a standard neon sign is approximately 30,000 hours. However, in 2012 during a renovation of a restaurant, a neon light panel was found still on, after running for approximately 77 years. A NEON SIGN ONCE SOLD FOR $48,300! Earlier this year, in January 2017, a neon sign sold for $48,300 at a auction night in Maine, USA, the sign was from the legendary Los Angeles rock club, ‘Whisky a Go Go’ and 13ft long.