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The World's Largest Collection Of Neon Signs Is Ridiculous And Amazing

Meet "the Godfather of Neon" and wander through his florescent paradise.

Looking through pictures of neon church/graveyard God’s Own Junkyard, we don't think we've seen this many illuminated signs since the climactic forest-of-neon-lights-death-scene in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo &Juliet. However, instead of setting the stage for a pair of adolescent star-crossed loves to die in vain, Chris Bracey (aka the "Godfather of Neon”) has set up a place for peace and Vogue photoshoots. Named the world’s largest collection of neon art work, Bracey’s famous flashies have made their grand appearances everywhere from Blade Runner and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, to Eyes Wide Shut (amongst others).

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Both the creator and collector of these pieces, Bracey's neon menagerie goes back 25 years. As Bracey explains in the film below, neon is almost like a visual addiction--one that he's hopelessly hooked on.

Chris Bracey - A short film about the 'Godfather of Neon' for Liverpool Love from Liverpool Love.

Stating he was the first to use bring the phrase 'Girls Girls Girls' to neon fruition ("I was like number one enemy at the council") in some ways Bracey could almost be seen as the creator of modern nightlife. However, for Bracey it's always been more about the art than the spectacle: "I paint with light I suppose. I'm like..Light Rider."

As Bracey mentioned to UnknownEditors, the creation of this massive collection was pretty organic: "I had this yard with all the stuff in it, and I’ve got loads of sheds with neon signs in, piled up. And I thought, what am I going to call it? And then I read about this book that was about an architect in the 60s who didn’t like urban America because of all the movie signs, petrol stations, gambling casinos, diners on Route 66, and big signs all over the landscape. He said ‘they’re turning God’s own country into God’s own junkyard!’ And I thought, yeah, that’s what I’ve got here. I’ve got all this stuff from God’s own junkyard which is very much like America, with all these signs. I love this stuff so much, I thought if God had a junkyard it would be full up with all this stuff, these neon signs, because I think God would really like all this stuff. It’s really magical to me.”

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Below, take an online tour of God's Own Paradise for yourself:

"With neon it's like a creature of night..it comes alive after dark."

For more info visit God's Own Junkyard here.