Neon sign

They are the most common use for neon lighting,[1] which was first demonstrated in a modern form in December 1910 by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show.

[3] The installations in Times Square, many originally designed by Douglas Leigh, were famed, and there were nearly 2,000 small shops producing neon signs by 1940.

[4][5] In addition to signage, neon lighting is used frequently by artists and architects,[4][6][7] and (in a modified form) in plasma display panels and televisions.

[8][9] The signage industry has declined in the past several decades, and cities are now concerned with preserving and restoring their antique neon signs.

[13][14] The discovery of neon in 1898 by British scientists William Ramsay and Morris W. Travers included the observation of a brilliant red glow in Geissler tubes.

[15] Travers wrote, "the blaze of crimson light from the tube told its own story and was a sight to dwell upon and never forget.

[14] From December 3–18, 1910, Claude demonstrated two 12-metre (39 ft) long bright red neon tubes at the Paris Motor Show.

In place of dumpy little bulbs sputteringly spelling out Café or Theatre, there were long swooping spirals of pure brilliant colour.

After shaping, the hollow tube is evacuated with vacuum pumps and filled with gases to produce the desired color, e.g. neon gas for red lighting.

[24] Light-emitting tubes form colored lines with which a text can be written or a picture drawn, including various decorations, especially in advertising and commercial signage.