I had the opportunity to visit the shop that will be restoring the neon at the Lakewood Theater over the next couple of months. I was able to get important insights into the historic process of creating neon installations and to watch the final stages of manufacturing for a small "i".

Amy at work.

A tube being "burned in" to remove impurities

Color palette. Neon colors have changed little over the years.

Detail of the "burn-in" process. 17,000 volts through an empty tube.

Now clean, the gas is added.

Tools of the trade. Gas jets for heating and bending glass.