Mac Teague, the Sign Master
by Lynne Rostochil. Photos from Martin Treu’s collection, by Lynne Rostochil, by Bob Bowlby, and from the Mac’s Sign Shop collection.
Oklahoma City lost one of its most iconic and prolific artists last month with the passing of Mac Teague, sign creator extraordinaire. We’ve talked a bit about Mac’s Sign Shop on the Mod Blog before, so instead of rehashing a bunch of biographical information, I think the best way to pay tribute to Mac and his Googilicious body of work is through images and not words. Thank you, Mac, for adding so much to our urban landscape.
An early sign for Mac’s Sign Shop, 1950s. Demolished. A great mid-century building replaced the Quonset hut in the above photo:
It is currently vacant:
McHenry’s, 937 SW 59th. Demolished.
Steven’s Cleaners, NW 23rd and Classen. Demolished.
Frankie’s Big Donut, 2008 N. Portland. Demolished.
Drexel Cleaners, NW 23rd and Brookline. Altered.
Drexel Cleaners sign in 2008.
Drexel Cleaners sign today.
AMC, NW 10th and Penn. Demolished in 2013.
The AMC sign in 2008.
Don’s Drive-In, 4601 SE 29th. Demolished.
Rhodes Thrif-T-Wise, SW 44th and May. Demolished.
Keirn’s Dairy, 2412 SW 44th. Demolished.
Lee’s Used Cars, SWOKC. Believed to be demolished.
Del Rancho Drive-In, 2109 SW 29th. Altered.
Mac likely designed the Del Rancho signs in Moore, Clinton, and Del City, among others. I think he did the one that was once located at NW 10th and Penn, too:
Trade Winds Motor Inn, Reno and Eastern, OKC. Demolished.
Tahoma Motel. I believe this one was in Lawton and has likely been demolished.
Downtown Center Shops, Main St. and Flood, Norman. Demolished.
Farrow’s Cafeteria, location unknown — OKC Metro area. Sign likely demolished.
Dorothy Criner Bar-B-Q, SWOKC.
I believe that this is the Dorothy Criner sign today. It advertises a used car lot at SW 29th and Klein. Here’s the sign today:
It’s in need of some love, but it’s still there!
Country Club Shops, SW 59th and Penn. Demolished.
Classen Inn Motel, NW 8th and Classen. Extant but has been painted gray since I took this photo in 2008.
Skateland, 2020 W. Lindsey. Extant.
Here’s the sign in 2006 before the name change and how it looks now.
You can read more about Mac’s life and remarkable career here and here. His obituary is here. Finally, if you love signs, I highly recommend Martin Treu’s excellent book on the subject, Signs, Streets & Storefronts:
And yes, that’s a Mac Teague sign on the cover!
Here’s one last photo from the OPUBCO collection at the History Center of Mac in front of his sign shop in 1977 advertising his later-in-life passion, building birdhouses:
