Jack Robbins Clothes Neon, Incandescent, Store Sign with a Spinning Element, Chicago, Illinois. (1942-2006)

Jack Robbins Clothes opened in 1942 at 5613 West Belmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. He was the president of the Belmont-Central Chamber of Commerce from 1960 to 1963. Jack Robbins died on September 13, 1997, in North Palm Beach, Florida, at 90. Lawrence Robbins, Jack's son, ran the business until he closed it in 2006. 

The Robbins sign combined neon and flashing bulbs. The clock (on one side) and the letter "R" on the other side rotated at a speed so traffic both ways could see the time. The sign and building were destroyed by fire in 2009. 

The sign was a "landmark" in the neighborhood. Shoppers that parked on Belmont used the Robbins sign as the marker to find their car.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.