1930's Horlacher's BEER lighted sign-Allentown,Pa.

This Horlacher's sign was made by Crystal Manufacturing of Chicago, IL and New York, NY, mid- to late-30s. A colored acetate gel is sandwiched between reverse-painted and silvered glass (in front) and white diffuser glass (behind), mounted in a painted wood frame with a tin cabinet behind to house the light bulb inside. The cabinet is box-shaped with square corners, or it may be shaped like a trapezoid. There is a small sliding panel on back for access to the bulb. These signs were sold under the trademark "NEO-LIGHT". They were an inexpensive alternative to glass tube (neon) signs, designed to mimic the glass tube look when lit (notice how the ends of each stroke in each letter of the typeface are rounded -- like a neon tube would appear when turned back on itself)