Great Neon in Stroud
Snapped this on a recent Sunday ride to Stroud, Oklahoma.
The Skyliner Motel is still operating here on the Old Road. The neon sign is fully functional, beckoning travelers driving both Route 66 and the Interstate. It's located at the junction of Route 66 and OK-99, near the point we Okies call Midway.
The distinctive chevron shape was a popular element on Postwar signs. But unlike many of its swoopier contemporaries this sign has a uniquely vertical design. The stacked elements are neat and tidy with emphasis placed on the most important text: MOTEL.
But look a little closer and you'll be rewarded with another jewel of mid-century signage. At the bottom of the structure is a tag from the builder, Tuny Monday. It's a great little sign on its own:
Jackie was fascinated by the signmaker's little sign and did some research. Turns out Tuny Monday is a neon sign maker and apparently is still in business in Oklahoma City. But he was also a competitive body builder!
The August 1962 issue of Iron Man magazine reports he won the Junior Mr. America title with "a very unusual physique in that he weighs but 150 at about 5'5" height and has a most amazing definition." Maybe his physique was the product of climbing up and down neon signs?
If you'd like to see Tuny Monday's handiwork for yourself just head for the midpoint between Tulsa and Oklahoma City on Route 66. Or, if traveling on I-44, take the Stroud exit. The Skyliner is barely a quarter mile off the turnpike at the corner of 8th Avenue and Main Street. While you're in town, drop by the Rock Cafe and enjoy some of Oklahoma's best road food!
The Skyliner Motel is still operating here on the Old Road. The neon sign is fully functional, beckoning travelers driving both Route 66 and the Interstate. It's located at the junction of Route 66 and OK-99, near the point we Okies call Midway. The distinctive chevron shape was a popular element on Postwar signs. But unlike many of its swoopier contemporaries this sign has a uniquely vertical design. The stacked elements are neat and tidy with emphasis placed on the most important text: MOTEL.
But look a little closer and you'll be rewarded with another jewel of mid-century signage. At the bottom of the structure is a tag from the builder, Tuny Monday. It's a great little sign on its own:
Jackie was fascinated by the signmaker's little sign and did some research. Turns out Tuny Monday is a neon sign maker and apparently is still in business in Oklahoma City. But he was also a competitive body builder!
The August 1962 issue of Iron Man magazine reports he won the Junior Mr. America title with "a very unusual physique in that he weighs but 150 at about 5'5" height and has a most amazing definition." Maybe his physique was the product of climbing up and down neon signs?
If you'd like to see Tuny Monday's handiwork for yourself just head for the midpoint between Tulsa and Oklahoma City on Route 66. Or, if traveling on I-44, take the Stroud exit. The Skyliner is barely a quarter mile off the turnpike at the corner of 8th Avenue and Main Street. While you're in town, drop by the Rock Cafe and enjoy some of Oklahoma's best road food!
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