The Zeon Files: Art & Design of Historic Route 66 Signs
A visual archive of Albuquerque’s golden age of neon, preserved in the original working drawings from 1955-1972.
About The Book
Rescuing History From Obscurity
In the mid-twentieth century, Zeon Corporation created eye-catching roadside signs that defined Route 66 and the Southwest. From Eddie’s Inferno Cocktail Lounge to the legendary Terrace Drive-In flamenco dancer, these works of commercial art featured unique designs, irregular shapes, dynamic compositions, and brilliant neon light.
“The Zeon Files” showcases the beautifully hand-drafted working drawings that reveal the artistry, precision, and craftsmanship of this innovative era of American sign making. Created during a time before the simplified icons of major chains, many of these culturally significant artworks no longer exist – but their designs live on in this collection.
Winner: 2017 New Mexico-Arizona Book Award for History
Featured Signs From The Collection
Terrace Drive-In Flamenco Dancer
Eddie's Inferno Cocktail Lounge
Paris Shoe Shop
West Theatre, Grants, NM
Hiway House Motel
Grants Cafe
The Artists & Craftsmen
More Than Tradesmen - They Were Artists
The drawings in The Zeon Files reveal the incredible skill and pride of Zeon’s artists. Even the scale figures (drawings of people used to show sign size) were carefully rendered.
Featured Artist: Jere Pelletier
Jere Pelletier was so skilled in neon craftsmanship that he once made a neon hangman’s noose just to see if it could be done. When someone stole it from the shop, he made another. Artists like Jere combined technical mastery with creative vision, turning commercial signage into art.
Cultural Impact
Central Avenue Was Made By The Signs
In their time, Zeon’s signs created a “hedge of signage” that defined Central Avenue. They provided a sense of enclosure and moved the definition of the street from a wall of buildings to a row of lights.
For those who remember Albuquerque from the mid-1950s to the 1970s, these neon signs are burned into their minds – they were Albuquerque.
The Collection
Available Through UNM
The inventory of Zeon Sign Company records from 1955-1972 is available through the Rocky Mountain Online Archive and the Center for Southwest Research at UNM, which is cataloguing the collection and making it available online.
Support for preserving this collection came from the City of Albuquerque’s Urban
Enhancement Trust Fund and Friends of the Zeon Corporation.
Continue The Legacy
Your Sign, Part of Tomorrow's History
The signs we create today will be part of Albuquerque’s story for decades to come. Let’s create something worth remembering.