Golden Star Radio Sign Restoration Gets Underway

The restoration of the historic Golden Star Radio sign in San Francisco’s Chinatown is officially underway.

Three stories of scaffolding have been erected on Clay Street, giving the restoration team access to the sign and marking the beginning of the hands-on work to bring this piece of broadcasting history back to life.

With the scaffolding in place, neon expert Jim Rizzo and the restoration team were finally able to examine the Golden Star sign up close.

The years have taken their toll. Rust and weather have damaged the sign’s metal surfaces, much of the original paint has disappeared or faded, and portions of the neon and electrical system need repair or replacement.

But there was also good news: a surprising amount of the original neon tubing has survived.

The restoration includes removing rust, repairing and painting the sign, repairing or recreating broken and missing neon tubes, replacing transformers as needed, and installing new AC power.

One of the first major tasks was removing the vintage glass neon tubes from the sign.

Jim Rizzo and Nate Macey carefully removed the original tubing from its mounts three stories above Clay Street and prepared it for transportation to the neon shop in Oakland.

Some of that glass has been part of the Golden Star sign for more than 80 years, making preservation of the surviving original material an important part of the project.

Once safely at the shop, the original tubes can be examined and tested to determine what can be reused and what will need to be recreated.

With three stories of scaffolding surrounding the building, people passing through Chinatown might reasonably wonder what’s happening overhead.

CHRS installed a project banner on the scaffolding featuring Tommy and May Chin Tong and explaining the history and restoration of the Golden Star Radio sign. Designed and produced by Rachel Lee and Arielle Crenshaw, the banner helps connect the restoration work happening above Clay Street with the pioneering broadcasters whose legacy the sign represents.

The project brings together specialists with the skills needed to restore an unusual historic artifact.

Steve Kushman is serving as CHRS Project Manager, working with neon expert Jim Rizzo and the neon restoration team, along with historical sign painter Manny Fabregas.

With access to the sign secured and the original neon coming down, the Golden Star restoration has moved from an ambitious preservation idea to a very real project.

And there is plenty more to come.