“Every business in the nation that wanted to be perceived as modern in that Art Deco era had to have neon,” a neon preservationist and historian told The Times. By the late 1960s, neon was on the outs as the first lady Lady Bird Johnson started a national “beautification” campaign and communities passed anti-neon laws. Neon flickered back to life in the 1980s, but made a strong return in the 2000s in the United States. In Hong Kong, a city known for its glow, neon lights have slowly dimmed in recent years. _____Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings and updated online.

Source: New York Times May 22, 2018 19:52 UTC