In a city that rebuilds as quickly as Houston, the neon signs and roadside landmarks that once defined its commercial corridors are disappearing. A new presentation at Preservation Houston highlights these visual icons and the stories they carry.
Heights Theater, Houston, TX, 2017, inkjet print on archival metallic photo paper (photo by Molly Block)
Signs of the City: Framing Houston’s Roadside Landmarks, featuring photographs by Houston-based photographer Molly Block, will be on view through June 30, 2026, at Preservation Houston’s Midtown office at 3907 Main Street.
“Signs of the City” brings together 31 photographs printed on metallic photo paper that Block has created since 2011, documenting the neon pylons, ghost signs, and hand-lettered façades that mark Houston’s commercial past. From the Heights Theater marquee to the Shipley’s Do-Nuts sign, the Dot Coffee Shop tower, and Antonio’s Flying Pizza, the photographs capture landmarks that are as much about craftsmanship as they are about commerce.
For Block, the camera itself is a preservation tool, a way to document the design, materials, and craft traditions behind these structures and make the case for their cultural value.
Preservation Houston has long advocated for the preservation of historic signage across the city. When the Granada Theater, a 1949 cinema in northeast Houston, was demolished in 2025, Preservation Houston collaborated with the new owner and community groups to salvage portions of its exterior signage. Similarly, the Art Moderne Sears sign on North Shepherd Drive in Garden Oaks survives in part because of advocacy efforts involving Preservation Houston, neighborhood groups, and the site’s developer. Block’s photographs reinforce that mission by documenting these structures and elevating them as artifacts of Houston’s architectural and cultural history.
Texas Favorite, Study 2, Houston, TX, 2016, inkjet print on archival metallic photo paper (photo by Molly Block)
Join Preservation Houston for a reception and artist talk with Molly Block from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, at 3907 Main Street. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations can be made at preservationhouston.org.
“Signs of the City: Framing Houston’s Roadside Landmarks” is presented in partnership with Catherine Couturier Gallery, which represents Block and will handle print sales. Ten percent of sales will benefit Preservation Houston, courtesy of the artist and the gallery. This is the first in a new series of presentations hosted by Preservation Houston exploring Houston’s architecture, history, and culture through art and creative interpretation.
About the Artist
Molly Block is a Houston-based photographer who has documented vintage signs, roadside structures, and historic buildings across Houston since 2011. She holds a BS in architectural studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at Catherine Couturier Gallery in Houston, the Houston Center for Photography, the Museum of Neon Art, the Griffin Museum of Photography, and the Los Angeles Center of Photography. Her photographs have appeared in Texas Highways, the Houston Chronicle, the Houston Press, and Texas Monthly, and are held in private and corporate collections including JP Morgan Chase.
River Oaks Theatre, Houston, TX, 2017,inkjet print on archival metallic photo paper (photo by Molly Block)
Granada Theater, Houston, TX, 2014, inkjet print on archival metallic photo paper (photo by Molly Block)