Colony” House” (nope, not a typo)

Submitted by Midmodmom January 27th, 2011
Certifikitsch Winner

Recently my husband and I ventured off on a pilgrimage to the land of my birth…well, really we just went to Anaheim because I wanted to see the apartment building my parents lived in when I was born.  It’s a pretty run down neighborhood (and according to my mom, it was already run down when we lived there in 1970), but that means there are lots of great signs and buildings still in their original condition.  This isn’t the building we lived in when I was a newborn, but I couldn’t resist stopping to take a pic of the bizarre quotation mark placement and the backwards tail on the Y.

11 Responses to “Colony” House” (nope, not a typo)”

  1. Allee Willis

    I love Anaheim! Though it makes me ill how many of these great period apartment buildings and stores have been ripped down through the years. Given that it’s home of Disneyland I wish that someone there had the sense and to keep Anaheim as a time capsule village. But alas…

    This particular signage KILLS me! I don’t even know what the quotation marks could even have been intended for. And just as crazy is that “y” in “Colony”. At first I thought it was a ‘g”. And why is it placed so high? It’s like they put the numbers and “House” up first and then there was no room for a proper “y”. I absolutely love this! If you have any more photos from the land of your birth I’d love to see them.

    • Califgirl42

      There are some really great 1950’s single floor apartments by my parents who live in Anaheim I believe on Nutwood Street between Ball and Orange Ave. I love the 1950 to 60s architecture that is still around Anaheim and Stanton where I was born.

      • Allee Willis

        Anaheim is stuffed with incredible vintage places, although there used to be so many more. One time when I was there a crane was taking down the most incredible Sputnik store sign, a big ball with colored light spokes that stood about 20 feet in the air. I think it was from a liquor store they were bulldozing. I asked them if they were selling it but they said it was going straight to the junkyard. They wouldn’t budge. It was heartbreaking! When you’re in Anaheim again please take your camera and snap some of the vintage architecture. We’d love to see it here at AWMOk.

        • Califgirl42

          Trying to visit in summer. If I can I will bring my camera and get some great picts of the vintage places that are still left. I wish they would just refurb and make a nostalgic looking Anaheim (along with the rest of SoCal). I am not much for the new buildings. There is just no imagination

            • Midmodmom

              My husband and I were in Anaheim last weekend and I snapped a few pics. I will get them posted as soon as I can. My job and kids are keeping me a little swamped right now!

  2. Patty McDonald

    My two cents,,that Allee is how a proper y is made in the German language and I think what happened here with that and the quotation marks was…Anaheim was founded by Germans and the first house was the Mother Colony House. Germans use quotations like this……………..
    ,,Colony House”….think someone when they built this was trying to somehow use reference to the Mother Colony House etc and just got a little mixed up.

  3. Patty McDonald

    Midmodmom…how nice that you got to go see where your parents lived when they had you! Thanks for sharing!!