Helen 'The Swinging Girl' Neon Sign
- 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
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial - Stores
- Advertising Medium - Signs and Signboards
- Street Address
- 4142 Hastings Street
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
Less detail
1160 Douglas Rd
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- December 1994
- Collection/Fonds
- Grover, Elliott & Co. Ltd. fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 22 photographs : col. negatives ; 35 mm
- Scope and Content
- Photographs of the exterior of a three-storey commerical building located at 1160 Douglas Road.
4226 Hastings St.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- May 1994
- Collection/Fonds
- Grover, Elliott & Co. Ltd. fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 18 photographs : col. negatives ; 35 mm
- Scope and Content
- Photographs of the commerical businesses located along the 4200 block of Hastings Street, including: Ultra X-Ray, Vote Reform, and United Optical
Ancient Willow Bed & Breakfast sign
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2000]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Leah-Anne Arbers posing in front of her bed and breakfast, Ancient Willow, with a sign that was broken by vandals. Arbers' cousin Olga Shevchenko stands behind her, holding part of the broken sign, which reads: "BED."
Billboards at Hastings and Boundary
Boundary Road and Hastings Street vicinity
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1915 (date of original), copied 1986
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.8 cm print
- Scope and Content
- Photograph taken in Vancouver on Hastings Street looking east toward Burnaby and Boundary Road. The Hastings Street British Columbia Electric Railway (BCER) cars can be seen labouring up the hill.
Brown-John trucking office
Covid Special
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 10, 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a handwritten sign at Kazu Sushi restaurant advertising its bento box special along with the message "Beat COVID-19". The sign is taped to the restaurant's sandwich board.
Hastings Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- October, 1976
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Public Library Contemporary Visual Archive Project
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 11 x 16 cm mounted on cardboard
- Scope and Content
- Photograph shows shoppers walking down the 4100 Block of Hastings Street. The Helen's "swinging girl" sign can be seen in the background, along with numerous other signs advertising the businesses in the area.
Joey Restaurant
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 1, 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a sign perched on a decorative tree trunk in the foyer of Joey Burnaby. The sign contains information for patrons on food delivery and pickup.
Lougheed Hotel
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- October 23, 1977
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Public Library Contemporary Visual Archive Project
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Lougheed Hotel on Lougheed Highway near Willingdon Avenue. The photograph is taken facing west and shows the hotel's sign, parking lot, and main hotel building.
Lougheed Hotel
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1960]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 18.3 x 24.2 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Lougheed Hotel on Lougheed Highway. Electric "Hotel" and "Vacancy" signs can be seen. A board advertises, "Smorgasbord Fri & Sat April 4th On, Ph GL 0221." "TV" is also advertised.
North Burnaby Juvenile Band outside the Regent Theatre
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1930
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : sepia ; 15 x 20 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the North Burnaby Juvenile Band outside the Regent Theatre on Hastings Street. Thirty-two children are standing, holding their instruments and wearing sashes. A number of banners and posters are visible, one reading "On the stage Thurs. Aug. 14, North Burnaby's Juvenile Band - Be on H…
Signs at the Willingdon Heights Community Church
Smitty's Restaurant
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- September 5, 1976
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Public Library Contemporary Visual Archive Project
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 11 x 16 cm mounted on cardboard
- Scope and Content
- Photograph shows a sign advertising Smitty's restaurant with smaller "Welcome to Burnaby" sign below, on Hastings Street near Boundary Road. A transmission tower is on the right.