Palomba Academy of Music Porcelain and Neon Sign

For 64 years, the Palomba Academy of Music taught music lessons from its Bronx storefront, but due to COVID-19, was forced to close in mid-2020.  Palomba’s was a New York institution that had many stand out students over the years such as Grammy-winning drummer Will Calhoun of In Living Color, bassist Ron Long who worked with The Temptations, and drummer Luciannna Padmore who played in the Tony-winning show “Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk.”

The 25-ft long Palomba Academy of Music neon sign was designed in 1956 by Milton Grauer of the Bronx’s famous Grauer Sign Co.  Grauer developed many signs throughout the New York area, although their most memorable ones seem be their neon designs.  They can be seen in the yellow pages up to the early 1990s and do not appear to still be operational today.

Efforts were made to locate a permanent home closer to its original location but, because of its size and weight, no museum in New York City is willing to take or display the sign. The removal was successfully done by American Signcrafters Insterstate, a New York based sign company, located in Bohemia

Good: majority of neon in working condition; treble clef and other inner tubes needed recreation and some areas needed re-pumped

01/22/2016: remake treble clef outer & inner tubes based on original colors, labor to remake patterns, check/finish wiring at cost of $300