Perry creating one of the hand-painted murals
Perry Eales, the owner of Perry Signs London, and his team had a fantastic experience hand-painting signs for the Evel Knievel Museum in Las Vegas. In this issue’s column he tells readers about the project and the ‘perks’ of the job.
Earlier this July, we had the incredible privilege of being commissioned to create and hand-paint all the interior and exterior signage for the Evel Knievel Museum.
For us, this was much more than just another sign writing job – it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one that brought back a lot of childhood memories.
The job at hand
The project involved a huge amount of traditional hand-painted work, including hand lettering on glass, as well as painting the Stars and Stripes at high level around the main entrance.
We also had the opportunity to refurbish a life-size statue of Evel Knievel, which is proudly displayed inside the museum near the main entrance. On top of that, we gilded the front panel of the iconic big red truck, which is another fantastic centrepiece within the collection.
From the outside, it probably all sounds rather glamorous, but behind the scenes it was nine days of hard graft, working 10-hour days in temperatures reaching around 38°C.
For me, there was an extra-special part to the whole experience. Evel Knievel was a childhood hero of mine, so to actually be standing inside a museum dedicated to his life and career, working on the artwork and signage, was something I could never have imagined as a kid. I was even allowed to wear my full leather Evel Knievel suit while working, which was great fun and certainly brought out the big kid in me.
We were also incredibly fortunate to meet members of the Evel Knievel family. From the moment we arrived, they were so friendly and welcoming, and they really made us feel at home. They gave us what felt like a completely open canvas to create and hand-paint what we thought worked best, as long as we stayed true to the traditional red, white and blue colours associated with Evel.
That trust meant a great deal to us as traditional sign writers. We were able to put our own craftsmanship and ideas into the work while still respecting the history, character, and spirit of Evel Knievel. We also hand-made a completely bespoke glass-gilded sign, which is now on display in the museum.
The experience of a lifetime
And if you are a fan of Evel Knievel, motorcycles, American history or traditional sign writing, the museum is absolutely worth a visit. The collection of photographs, props and memorabilia from Evel’s extraordinary life is incredible, and seeing the motorcycles he actually used for some of his most famous jumps is something else.
One of the things that amazed me most was seeing that so much of the original sign writing on the motorcycles was still intact. The beautiful artwork on the bike tanks, some of it dating all the way back to the 1970s, is a real reminder of the skill and craftsmanship that went into these machines. As someone passionate about traditional sign writing, I honestly felt like I was walking through an art museum celebrating sign writing, gilding and hand-painted artwork at its very best.
After nine days of working in that 100°C heat, we finally headed home – tired, happy and incredibly proud of what we had achieved. But there was one more amazing surprise waiting for us: we left with an order for 212 limited-edition gold-leaf glass pieces, representing every Evel Knievel jump, whether he made it, crashed or otherwise.
Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, we’ll be returning to the museum. We are already looking forward to seeing everyone again and continuing what has been an unforgettable journey.
A massive thank you to Mike Patterson and Lathan for giving us this incredible opportunity and for making us feel so welcome. It is an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
I hope you enjoy the pictures and that they bring back some wonderful childhood memories of the one and only Evel Knievel.
For more of Perry’s tips, tricks and experiences as a sign writer, here is a column on his methods to get that perfect crackled effect.
