This shows the ancient, circa 1928, and original neon sign (from which the neon tubing has been removed) advertising
the Irvin S. Cobb Hotel in downtown Paducah.  It is the man himself in
mid-career silhouette.

The Hotel, now apartments, is holding on for
dear life.  It is apparently for sale, has no immediate buyer, yet
preserves a perfect Art-Deco lobby designed by the same firm that
created the famous Peabody Hotel in Memphis.  There are several Art-Deco wood sculptures in the lobby, an amazing original dining room, now
darkened and filled with junk; and a painted ceiling that calls to mind
the St. Regis Hotel in New York.  This was also the tallest building in
Paducah, once upon a time, since Cobb was its most renowned favorite son.  Yet who
reads him today?  And where dwell the ghosts of past guests at this Twilight Zone sort of a place?

I love the sign, and I love the place.