Making neon signs is a dangerous art. Glass tubes heated to 1,400
degrees can shatter, sending razor-sharp shards into the hands of an
artist whose concentration has flickered momentarily. Neon artists
gamble on skill, eye, focus and a deft touch every time they make a
beautiful sign for a restaurant, bar, car wash or other business that
craves this form of eye candy.
Ortwein Signs has taken that gamble several times a week for more
than 90 years. Founded in 1923 by a German immigrant to Chattanooga
named Ortwein, it now has locations in Knoxville and Nashville.
Neon signs are making a comeback in the area thanks to hipsters, he
says, those urban millennials who love neon for the artisan talent,
old-school handcrafting and unearthly glow, like starlight captured in a
bottle.
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