Roto Sphere - Route 66 - New Mexico Acrylic Print

acrylic prints space acrylic prints vintage acrylic prints sign acrylic prints vintage sign acrylic prints planet acrylic prints

photographs space photos vintage photos sign photos vintage sign photos planet photos

This Roto-Sphere sign is located on Route 66 in Moriarty, New Mexico. It was installed above the El Comedor de Anayas Restaurant sometime in the 1960s, but after being out in the elements for 40+ years, it was almost paint-free and deteriorating badly. In 2002, it was chosen as one of the nine vintage Route 66 signs to be restored because of its rarity. El Comedor closed in 2013, but the building now houses an antique shop.

Star-like and sputnik-style signs were all the rage in the 1960s. There were many different styles with different arm lengths and numbers of arms. Most did not have neon and were simply eye-catching sign-toppers.

The Roto-Sphere signs were the most elaborate sputnik-style signs because they were lit and moved. Roto-Spheres had sixteen, eight-foot-long multi-colored aluminum spikes outlined in neon mounted on a ball that could spin in three directions. Mass-produced by Warren Milks from 1960-1971, he created 234 Roto-Sphere signs. Unfortunately, only...

I'm a travel photographer that enjoys photographing United States architecture, nature, and transportation. As the 8th photographer in 4 generations of my family, I don't remember a time when photography was not part of my life. By the time I was five years old, I was standing on a stool in the darkroom, helping my dad develop pictures. It was my job to transfer the photos from the hypo to the water bath. I went to college for interior design. After I graduated, I had a long successful career as an art buyer and designer for a large home furnishings company. In 2006, I had a significant life change. My husband became a medical traveler, and I decided to put my career on hold to tag along. In the process, I found my roots again. What...