Neon In The Dock: 1939 Wireless Debate
Z Rozdíly.cz
Britain’s Pre-War Glow Problem
It might seem almost comic now: while Europe braced for Hitler’s advance, the House of Commons was debating glowing shopfronts.
Gallacher, never one to mince words, rose to challenge the government. How many complaints had rolled in about wireless sets being ruined by neon signage?
The reply turned heads: around a thousand complaints in 1938 alone.
Think about it: listeners straining to catch news bulletins, drowned out by the hum of glowing adverts on the high street.
The Minister in charge didn’t deny it. But here’s the rub: there was no law compelling interference suppression.
He promised consultations were underway, but stressed that the problem was "complex".
Which meant: more static for listeners.
The MP wasn’t satisfied. He pushed for urgency: speed it up, Minister, people want results.
Mr. Poole piled in too. If bespoke neon signs in London was a culprit, weren’t cables buzzing across the land just as guilty?
Tryon deflected, basically admitting the whole electrical age was interfering with itself.
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From today’s vantage, it feels rich with irony. Back then, neon was the tech menace keeping people up at night.
Jump ahead eight decades and the roles have flipped: the menace of 1939 is now the endangered beauty of 2025.
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So what’s the takeaway?
Neon has never been neutral. From crashing radios to clashing with LED, it’s always been about authenticity vs convenience.
In truth, it’s been art all along.
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The Smithers View. We see the glow that wouldn’t be ignored.
So, yes, old is gold. And it always will.
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Ignore the buzzwords of "LED neon". Authentic glow has history on its side.
If neon could jam the nation’s radios in 1939, it can sure as hell light your lounge, office, or storefront in 2025.
Choose craft.
We make it.
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