Noé Montes

Fellowship Title:

Farm Workers in the Coachella Valley

The Unique Art of Sign Painting in Los Angeles

Noé Montes

May 18, 2018

Fellowship Year

2015

Known for its sweet potato pies, the long-established 27th Street Bakery at 2700 S. Central Avenue, also is distinguished by its red and white exterior and painted signage, done in all caps san serif black letters shadowed in gray.

Chef Roy Choi’s Hawaiian soul food restaurant, A-Frame, at 12565 W. Washington Boulevard, has the weekend pancake special described in graphic form by Los Angeles artist Eric Junker.

Artist Eric Junker added a hand-painted hand on the outside of the A-Frame restaurant on W. Washington Boulevard, between the Mar Vista and Del Rey neighborhoods.

Cesar Chavez Body Shop has been at 1400 E. Cesar Chavez Avenue since 1970. Its signs were done by an itinerant painter who didn’t sign most of his work.

Burro, a store selling stationery, gifts and clothing at 1407 Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, has a vintage “blade” sign and hand-lettering.

Central Battery Shop at 4756 S. Central Avenue, south of downtown Los Angeles, is entirely covered in red paint, yellow lettering and freehand portraits of batteries.

Painting on corrugated metal reflects a sign painter’s steady hand at the Cesar Chavez Body Shop, 1400 Cesar E. Chavez Avenue in East Los Angeles.

This illustration of a muffler installation was created a dozen years ago by an itinerant painter named Alex at Cesar Chavez Body Shop, 1400 Cesar E. Chavez Avenue in East Los Angeles.

Some sign painters start as taggers. Here, an example of the work of both stand side by side at Cesar Chavez Body Shop, 1400 Cesar E. Chavez Avenue in East Los Angeles.

Since 1981, a large empty frame and hand-painted letters have marked the storefront of Charles Custom Picture Framing, 10677 W. Pico Boulevard in the Rancho Park neighborhood.

E Z Auto & Truck Parts, 9415 Glenoaks Boulevard, Sun Valley, is a cornucopia of hand-lettered signs, brand logos and auto parts, all rendered on corrugated metal.

A sign painter’s version of the Cadillac emblem, at EZ Auto & Truck Parts, 9415 Glenoaks Boulevard, Sun Valley, CA, near Burbank.

There are dozens of food trucks for rent – some with neon signs -- at La Raza Foods, the “Food Trucks Capital of the World” at 7782 San Fernando Road in Sun Valley, near Burbank. — There are dozens of food trucks for rent – some with neon signs — at La Raza Foods, the “Food Trucks Capital of the World” at 7782 San Fernando Road in Sun Valley, near Burbank.

Carefully painted examples of window styles adorn the exterior of Gallegos Windows at 1054 E. 54th Street in the Central Alameda neighborhood.

At 5401 S. Central Avenue, Gómez Appliances has a profusion of fonts, a dapper-looking repairman and illustrations of ranges and refrigerators.

The signs at Hillcrest Lock & Safe, 10397 W. Pico Boulevard in the Century City neighborhood, are made from well-worn three-dimensional painted wood letters.

There’s no question what this business at 5003 S. Central Avenue sells. Ice House has its name, bags of ice and ice cubes painted all over its structures.

Freehand letters with gray shadows list the services, which include civil marriages and divorces, at Teyer Tallbop Income Tax Services at 3529 S. Central Avenue.

A sign and illustration in progress at Junior’s Auto Parts & Salvage, 11171 Pendleton Street, Sun Valley, near Burbank. Sign painter Russell Chabot, 63, said he learned the skill from his father and grandfather.

Behind a metal security door at La Segunda De Paco at 3223 S. Central Avenue, a drawing of a Kenmore refrigerator. Yellow letters advertising other appliance brands adorn the pink exterior.

La Casa del Musico has been on the corner of First and State streets in East Los Angeles for 39 years. The sign letting passersby that it offers musical strings has been there about half that time.

This neon beauty is the epitome of a blade sign at Lincoln Hardware, 1609 Lincoln Boulevard in Venice, as it actually resembles the blade of a saw.

A hand-painted version of the Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation logo on the exterior of Lincoln Hardware, 1609 Lincoln Boulevard in Venice.

Lupitas Market and Carniceria at 2600 W. Jefferson Boulevard has only hand-painted signs on its exterior, including a mural of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a popular subject on commercial storefronts throughout Los Angeles.

Olson’s, a Scandinavian delicatessen and restaurant at 5660 Pico Boulevard, has been in business since 1948. Its exterior includes flags from five Scandinavian countries, and hand-lettered signage on the window glass and exterior façade.

A smiling octopus holds a sign hawking “FISH” at Pescaderia, 5407 S. Central Avenue.

The signs at 4750 S. Central Avenue state “Video &” “99¢ & Up,” but there was also a busy piñata making operation inside.

In Culver City, at 11029 Washington Boulevard, Martin B. Retting has a rifle painted on the side of the building, as well as fashioned on a blade sign. A large hand lettered sign advertises modern and antique guns, swords, war relics and armor.

Hand-painted birds perch and fish swim outside Samy Pet Shop at 2011 E. First Street in the Boyle Heights neighborhood.

A detail from Samy Pet Shop in the J.S. Schirm Building at 2011 E. First Street in Boyle Heights, on the east side of Los Angeles.

T & H Mini Mart at 1990 W. Jefferson Boulevard, catering to Salvadoran customers, has the following painted on its front wall: Newport and Marlboro cigarettes: a carton of eggs, a bottle of bleach, a box of Tide, a jug of milk, a bag of sugar, a jar of Folger’s coffee, peanut M & Ms, Palmolive detergent and a variety of ice cream treats.

is action portrait was painted 11 years ago, and grandmaster Walter Goode still runs his Karate Sports Academy at 2025 W. Jefferson Boulevard, west of the University of Southern California campus. — His action portrait was painted 11 years ago, and grandmaster Walter Goode still runs his Karate Sports Academy at 2025 W. Jefferson Boulevard, west of the University of Southern California campus.

Water Town, at 2604 W. Jefferson Boulevard, is closed, but its hand-painted door depicting its inventory -- a water jug, dish detergent, flashlight, bleach, toothbrush and more -- lives on. — Water Town, at 2604 W. Jefferson Boulevard, is closed, but its hand-painted door depicting its inventory — a water jug, dish detergent, flashlight, bleach, toothbrush and more — lives on.

Zamora Brothers Bakery, 1503 -1505 Avenida Cesar Chavez in East Los Angeles, known for carnitas (pork shoulder fried in lard) for almost half a century, has a playful, painted exterior.

The pig says “I had to win, Chato Zamora,” while store founder Zamora says “Help!” on a sign outside Zamora Brothers Bakery, 1503-1505 Avenida Cesar Chavez.

Noé Montes

FELLOWSHIP TITLE

Farm Workers in the Coachella Valley

FELLOWSHIP ARTICLES

Known for its sweet potato pies, the long-established 27th Street Bakery at 2700 S. Central Avenue, also is distinguished by its red and white exterior and painted signage, done in all caps san serif black letters shadowed in gray.

The Unique Art of Sign Painting in Los Angeles

Crops are grown and harvested year round in the valley with migrant farm workers arriving at various parts of the year for peak harvest season of crops like grapes, broccoli and cauliflower.

Coachella Valley Farm Workers