You’ll Never See Us: The Denver Family Business Preserving Neon

DENVER — When you enter Glen Weseloh’s shop, an electrical hum welcomes you. Instead of fluorescent overhead lights, neon signs hang from the ceiling, bathing the room in a warm, summer-night glow reminiscent of a county fair.

“Our shop just has that sexy atmosphere where people say, ‘wow,’ as soon as the neon lights up. It’s fun,” said Glen Weseloh, owner of Morry’s Neon.

At Morry’s Neon, Weseloh, 70, and his team of neon tube benders work to preserve the historical significance and artistry of neon signage.

Named after Weseloh’s late father, Morry Weseloh, the shop began as a father-and-son venture in 1985. After serving in World War II, Morry learned neon bending through the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. At age 65, after leaving the union, Morry partnered with Glen to open the shop.

“My dad used to say that neon contributed to longevity,” Weseloh shared.

Morry worked at the shop until six weeks before his passing at age 85. Weseloh said the work gave both father and son a shared purpose.

“During this time, neon got into my blood,” Weseloh said.

Morry’s Neon serves a diverse clientele, from major chains like Target and Safeway to local bars and restaurants.

Neon lights are made from glass tubes filled with neon gas. Skilled benders use heat and air to shape the tubes into intricate designs and letters, iconic to dive bars and theater marquees. Phosphorus coatings alter the colors, offering more than 70 possible shades.

The golden age of neon in the U.S. spanned from the 1920s to the 1960s, when neon signs lined city streets as businesses competed for attention.

“A local architect in Las Vegas calls it ‘the attention arms race.’ Each sign fights to say, ‘No, no, no, look at me,’” said Aaron Berger, executive director of The Neon Museum in Las Vegas.

On Denver’s Colfax Avenue, many hotels and businesses still display neon signs, though it’s a shadow of the street’s former glory, Weseloh said. Hundreds of flashing neon signs have been replaced by LED signs and billboards.

The Morry’s Neon team maintains many remaining signs on Colfax. Last year, they restored the sign at the newly renovated La Vista Motel.

In the 1960s, First Lady Lady Bird Johnson, concerned about excessive outdoor advertising, championed the Highway Beautification Act, which curtailed neon signage.

Berger noted that many moved away from neon because it began to look dated. Businesses preferred newer lighting technologies to appear modern.

LED lighting is more energy efficient and cheaper to produce, but lacks the charm of neon, Weseloh said.

While research highlights LED’s durability and ease of repair, both Berger and Weseloh argue that neon, when well-made, is a natural product that lasts longer than LED.

“Considering Las Vegas weather—120-degree summers, freezing winters, monsoons, windstorms—the neon tubes remain intact. There’s no reason neon couldn’t last forever,” Berger said.

Weseloh still owns neon signs his father made decades ago, which remain vibrant with proper maintenance. Unlike LED, which emits light in one direction, neon glows 360 degrees.

To neon enthusiasts, bending tubes is a heritage art form, with production methods largely unchanged since neon’s invention.

“If neon pieces are lost, destroyed, or neglected, you’re losing history,” Berger said.

Dust settles on signs and tools in Weseloh’s shop, where he sketches designs and measures glass tubes. To a first-time visitor, the shop may seem cluttered and overwhelming.

To Weseloh, it’s home.

“It’s like giving birth to a sign. You put your blood, sweat, and tears into it, and it becomes part of your life,” he said.

Business has remained steady since the 1980s, and neon is not dying, Weseloh said. He continues to serve regular clients and has worked on thousands of signs. He believes there are about a hundred signs in Colorado that could be restored and “brought back to their original glory.”

“Neon will be here forever; it’s not going away,” Weseloh said. “We definitely need the younger generation to step up, keep it going, care for it, and keep it alive in our world today.”