Jesse Simon's 'Neon Deutschland' Documents Germany's Vanishing Neon Signs

British typography expert Jesse Simon spent seven years traveling across Germany to photograph historic neon signs and illuminated advertisements before they disappear. His book 'Neon Deutschland' (Prestel) captures these fading urban artifacts with a focus on design history and typography. Simon, who has lived in Berlin since 2012 and previously published books on the city's typography and architecture, presents a cultural travel guide from Hamburg to Munich. In Düsseldorf, he discovered five large signs ending in '-mann': Börgermann, Kaufmann, Münstermann, Engelmann, and Heinemann. He identifies Cologne as the unofficial capital of historic neon signs, devoting 16 pages to the city. Notable examples include the 1968 Reissdorf Kölsch advertisement on Aachener Straße, a heritage-protected sign with 160 neon elements that alternates between 'Er trinkt' and 'Sie trinkt' at night. Other Cologne highlights are Cafés Cortina and Wahlen. Simon's book avoids melancholy, instead offering a typographic inventory and a guide to reading urban spaces. It does not cover artists like Tracey Emin, James Turrell, Bruce Nauman, or Dan Flavin, focusing strictly on commercial signage.