American Sign Museum founder, Tod Swormstedt, announced an anonymous gift of $900,000 to the museum’s Capital Fund. The generous gift will enable the completion of general construction of the museum’s new $2.7 million home in the Camp Washington area of Cincinnati.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
American Sign Museum founder, Tod Swormstedt, announced an anonymous gift of $900,000 to the museum’s Capital Fund. The generous gift will enable the completion of general construction of the museum’s new $2.7 million home in the Camp Washington area of Cincinnati.
The generous gift pushes the total of funds raised for the new home to $2.5 million. An additional $200,000 is needed for outfitting the planned events area and for restoring signs. A Grand Opening is proposed for Spring 2012.
The new 19,300 sq. ft. facility is approximately 450% larger than the museum’s present home at Essex Studios in Walnut Hills. The historic building will allow the museum to consolidate all operations under one roof, bringing together an extensive collection of historically significant acquisitions. Inclusive in this is a photo archive of more than 1200 vintage black-and-white prints and transparencies, as well as a library of 800 sign-related books and catalogs.
The main area of the museum focuses on a street scene characterized by life-size storefronts stretching along and facing in towards a “town square.” The three-dimensional, period storefronts serve as backdrops to display historic signs of all types; the windows of the storefronts become themed display cases for smaller signs and related objects. The town square area of “Signs on Main Street” as the area is designated, serves to display the museum’s large signs, including a 24-ft. circa 1963 Speedee McDonald signs from Huntsville, AL and a 22-ft. Howard Johnson’s sign from Utica, NY.
The floor plan also features an events area that will enable the museum to transform into an entertainment venue with the latitude to play host to meetings, seminars, and receptions. One especially exciting addition will be the inclusion of a working neon shop where museum visitors will be able to watch neon production first-hand.
The American Sign Museum is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit corporation—the self-proclaimed “mid-life crisis” of its founder. Swormstedt is the former editor and publisher of Signs of the Times magazine, a trade journal serving the sign industry since May, 1906. His great grandfather was the first editor of the magazine; his brother, Wade, is the current publisher and editor.
The Museum opened at Essex Studios in April, 2005 and has grown substantially, thanks to its supporters, primarily from the sign industry. It now houses a collection of more than 4000 cataloged items, with new acquisitions arriving every day.
| 
