Another Sign

Remember? A few weeks back I wrote about some of my favorite signs in and around Los Angeles? I received MANY comments regarding this post. An especially intriguing remark was from Chez Shoes in Pasadena. CS wanted to know if I'd seen the "Asthma Vapineze" neon sign on North Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood. Hmm? I never noticed it. We searched the name on the nets and came up with this wonderful black and white photo by "K" on the Jimson Weed Gazette. However, there wasn't any explanation of what this sign is about.

Street View

Is it some sort of asthma medicine sales place? Is this an old sign representing some strange elixir? Is it an art piece, erected to mess with our minds? Does the old bungalow beneath the sign have any significance? CS wondered if the sign was still there. Last weekend I drove up Fairfax from my neighborhood to the south and searched for the sign. During the day, it was difficult to spot, but I finally found it on the east side of Fairfax Ave., just north of Romaine St. I parked and took a few snapshots. There are businesses surrounding the bungalow. There were no signs of life coming from the front of the bungalow. There are surveillance camera signs and motion lights near the iron gate. At night, this can be a rather raucous section of Fairfax. There's always barfing rockers coming out of nightclubs...hence the cameras, lights and gates, I'm assuming.

I saw lots of vegetation in front of the porch. There was a dried up Christmas tree in the patio. Thru a side window I spotted an old-fashioned wall clock in the front room. The building backs up to a DWP or maybe SoCal Edison office on Spaulding Ave. There is no alley behind the building.

Front Porch

Side Window

I've also driven by at night and the neon sign is burning. Maybe I should send a letter to the address of this mysterious bungalow. What's the deal? Does anybody know?

Photo by "K" of Jimson Weed Gazette