DP Neon Sign & Old AMBC Building

DP Neon Sign and Old AMBC Building. . , Dallas Headquarters Neon Sign , The large neon Dr. Pepper sign that you see on the side of the building is a piece of Dr. Pepper history. It was originally located on the top of the Dr. Pepper Company headquarters at the corner of Mockingbird Lane and Greenville Avenue in Dallas, Texas. In 1951 the sign was added to showcase the new Dr. Pepper logo. The original sign was a triangular shape composed of three identical neon sections. This logo was a huge change for Dr. Pepper because the period after Dr. was dropped and has not reappeared in any logo since then. Only this portion of the sign survives., Dr. Pepper moved syrup production to St. Louis and relocated the company headquarters to a new location at Walnut Hill Lane in 1988. Before the building was demolished, museum staff were able to salvage a variety of items from the Mockingbird plant including this sign. Funding for the sign's restoration was provided by the Pepper Uppers, the club for retired Dr. Pepper employees., The Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Co. , Across the street from the Kellum and Rotan building (at 5th Street and Jackson Avenue), there are several iron posts along the sidewalk giving evidence of another building that stood on that corner. From 1900 to 1905 that building housed the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company (AMBC). It was here that the AMBC began developing their soft drink portfolio and shipping their products by rail. Ads for the company introduced consumers to their sarsaparilla, ginger ale, Dr. Pepper's Phos-Ferrates, Aqua Lithia, French wine, cocoa, celery champagne and other carbonated goods and flavoring extracts. Local outlets could call the company using the telephone number 211., In 1901, the climate was ripe for continued expansion. Robert Lazenby, superintendent of bottling for the AMBC, was elected president of the company. Lazenby introduced the world to Dr. Pepper at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri. This led to the company's need for more production space which was eventually constructed at the corner of 5th Street and Mary Avenue. (See the AMBC sign for more information about this location.), Captions , (Photo #1) RIGHT: Originally printed as a color postcard, the neon sign is easy to spot on top of the plant. , (Photo #2) BELOW: The Dr. Pepper plant on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas. , (Photo #3) RIGHT: An old photo of the original home of the AMBC. , (Photo #4) BELOW: Across the street are the remains of metal posts that were once part of the old building.