Helen 'The Swinging Girl' Neon Sign
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark591
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Description
- Commercial building.
- Associated Dates
- 1956
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Other Names
- Helen's Childrens Wear Sign
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Other Names
- Helen's Childrens Wear Sign
- Geographic Access
- Hastings Street
- Associated Dates
- 1956
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Enactment Type
- Bylaw No. 12771
- Enactment Date
- 19/04/2010
- Description
- Commercial building.
- Heritage Value
- While the building here is of some importance as the former North Burnaby municipal office, its primary importance is its delightful neon sign that has become a North Burnaby landmark. Helen Arnold opened Helen’s Childrens Wear shop in the building next door to the old Municipal offices in 1948. In 1955, when North Burnaby moved out, she moved into the vacated building. As part of the renovations, Helen enlisted the assistance of her good friend Jimmy Wallace, owner of Vancouver’s Wallace Neon Company, to create a new sign for her expanded business. One of the company’s designers, Reeve Lehman, created the swinging neon girl that was installed in 1956. Designed in two parts, one section of the sign is cloud shaped and reads ‘Helen’s’ while the other section is a moving representation of a little girl on a swing. The sign is nine feet six inches high and nine feet wide, and the lower section is animated with an internal motor and gears. It immediately became a landmark on Hastings Street, and recently the sign’s design fame has spread far and wide as one of the best surviving examples of kinetic neon art in North America.
- Locality
- Vancouver Heights
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Willingdon Heights Area
- Community
- Burnaby
- Names
- Helen's Childrens Wear
- Street Address
- 4142 Hastings Street
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
Images
![Belted kingfisher, [1957] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-009.jpg?width=280)
Belted kingfisher
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription82754
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 paintings : colour print ; 28 x 18.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows a belted kingfisher.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Physical Description
- 1 paintings : colour print ; 28 x 18.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 559-009
- Access Restriction
- In Archives only
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2013-22
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows a belted kingfisher.
- Subjects
- Animals - Birds
- Arts - Paintings
- Media Type
- Graphic Material
- Creator
- Lansdowne, James Fenwick
- Notes
- Title transcribed from item
- Simnett personal papers series
Images
![Belted kingfisher, [1957] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-009.jpg)
![Bullock's oriole, [1957] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-008.jpg?width=280)
Bullock's oriole
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription82753
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 paintings : colour print ; 28 x 18.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows two Bullock's orioles.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Physical Description
- 1 paintings : colour print ; 28 x 18.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 559-008
- Access Restriction
- In Archives only
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2013-22
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows two Bullock's orioles.
- Subjects
- Animals - Birds
- Arts - Paintings
- Media Type
- Graphic Material
- Creator
- Lansdowne, James Fenwick
- Notes
- Title transcribed from item
- Simnett personal papers series
Images
![Bullock's oriole, [1957] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-008.jpg)
![California quail, [1956] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-003.jpg?width=280)
California quail
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription82748
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1956]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 painting : colour print ; 37 x 28 cm
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows two California quail.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1956]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Physical Description
- 1 painting : colour print ; 37 x 28 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 559-003
- Access Restriction
- In Archives only
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2013-22
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows two California quail.
- Subjects
- Animals - Birds
- Arts - Paintings
- Media Type
- Graphic Material
- Creator
- Lansdowne, James Fenwick
- Notes
- Title transcribed from item
- Simnett personal papers series
Images
![California quail, [1956] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-003.jpg)
![Green-winged teal, [1957] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-004.jpg?width=280)
Green-winged teal
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription82749
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 painting : colour print ; 37 x 28 cm
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows two green-winged teal.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Physical Description
- 1 painting : colour print ; 37 x 28 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 559-004
- Access Restriction
- In Archives only
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2013-22
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows two green-winged teal.
- Subjects
- Animals - Birds
- Arts - Paintings
- Media Type
- Graphic Material
- Creator
- Lansdowne, James Fenwick
- Notes
- Title transcribed from item
- Simnett personal papers series
Images
![Green-winged teal, [1957] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-004.jpg)
![Macgillivray's warbler, [1955] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-006.jpg?width=280)
Macgillivray's warbler
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription82751
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1955]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 painting : colour print ; 37 x 28 cm
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows two Macgillvray's warblers.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1955]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Physical Description
- 1 painting : colour print ; 37 x 28 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 559-006
- Access Restriction
- In Archives only
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2013-22
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows two Macgillvray's warblers.
- Subjects
- Animals - Birds
- Arts - Paintings
- Media Type
- Graphic Material
- Creator
- Lansdowne, James Fenwick
- Notes
- Title transcribed from item
- Simnett personal papers series
Images
![Macgillivray's warbler, [1955] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-006.jpg)
![Mourning dove, [1957] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-010.jpg?width=280)
Mourning dove
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription82755
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 paintings : colour print ; 28 x 18.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows a mourning dove.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Physical Description
- 1 paintings : colour print ; 28 x 18.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 559-010
- Access Restriction
- In Archives only
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2013-22
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows a mourning dove.
- Subjects
- Animals - Birds
- Arts - Paintings
- Media Type
- Graphic Material
- Creator
- Lansdowne, James Fenwick
- Notes
- Title transcribed from item
- Simnett personal papers series
Images
![Mourning dove, [1957] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-010.jpg)
![Red-winged blackbird, [1957] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-007.jpg?width=280)
Red-winged blackbird
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription82752
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 painting : colour print ; 28 x 18.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows two red-winged blackbirds.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Physical Description
- 1 painting : colour print ; 28 x 18.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 559-007
- Access Restriction
- In Archives only
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2013-22
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows two red-winged blackbirds.
- Subjects
- Animals - Birds
- Arts - Paintings
- Media Type
- Graphic Material
- Creator
- Lansdowne, James Fenwick
- Notes
- Title transcribed from item
- Simnett personal papers series
Images
![Red-winged blackbird, [1957] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-007.jpg)
![Sparrow hawk, [1957] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-011.jpg?width=280)
Sparrow hawk
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription82756
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 paintings : colour print ; 28 x 18.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows a sparrow hawk.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Physical Description
- 1 paintings : colour print ; 28 x 18.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 559-011
- Access Restriction
- In Archives only
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2013-22
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows a sparrow hawk.
- Subjects
- Animals - Birds
- Arts - Paintings
- Media Type
- Graphic Material
- Creator
- Lansdowne, James Fenwick
- Notes
- Title transcribed from item
- Simnett personal papers series
Images
![Sparrow hawk, [1957] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-011.jpg)
![Western meadowlark, [1955] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-005.jpg?width=280)
Western meadowlark
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription82750
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1955]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 painting : colour print ; 37 x 28 cm
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows a Western meadowlark.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1955]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Physical Description
- 1 painting : colour print ; 37 x 28 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 559-005
- Access Restriction
- In Archives only
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2013-22
- Scope and Content
- Painting shows a Western meadowlark.
- Subjects
- Animals - Birds
- Arts - Paintings
- Media Type
- Graphic Material
- Creator
- Lansdowne, James Fenwick
- Notes
- Title transcribed from item
- Simnett personal papers series
Images
![Western meadowlark, [1955] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/559/559-005.jpg)