Label
Pep Boys: Manny, Moe & Jack
1970s
Gift of Pep Boys Corporation
The Museum of Neon Art adores all kinds of electrical art and signage, but it’s not really fond of backlit plastic. Realize that it was the cheap nature of backlit plastic that nearly killed the neon industry in the 1960s so talent-less and mass produced plastic signs are not really present in the museum’s inventory. However, the museum set its bias aside because, c’mon, it’s Manny, Moe and Jack! When the Pep Boys Company was undergoing a logo change in 1990 (to remove Manny’s cigar) the old style of Manny, Moe and Jack signs were being removed from their old perches across Los Angeles. The Museum stepped in and Pep Boys was kind enough to allow the museum to pick the best set possible. Plastic aside, they’re quite the trio and a strong symbol of LA’s car culture.