This is the business that made the Scenic City glow.
The 1966 photo features Chattanooga Neon & Electric Co., a sign and wiring business then located at 801 North Market St.
The photo, taken by newspaper photographer Bill Truex, appeared in the Chattanooga News-Free Press in February 1966 on a page devoted to advertisers. The image now resides at ChattanoogaHistory.com, an online gallery of vintage photographs curated by history buff Sam Hall.
The caption noted that the business, which traces its history to 1913, had just added floor space and new machinery to assure its customers “prompt and efficient service.”
William A. Jewell is listed as the owner of the business. Jewell’s obituary, published 10 years after this photo was taken, notes that he “made and erected over 1,000 neon signs throughout [Chattanooga].”