Shell Oil Company "Spectacular" Sign

The Shell Oil Company sign on Magazine Street is a large advertising display that rises several stories high and features the company's red and yellow colors. It consists of illuminated letters and a corporate emblem that together form a unified brand image.

The sign was built in 1933 by Donnelly Electric Manufacturing Company and originally featured neon lighting. In 1944 it was moved from Commonwealth Avenue to its current location in Cambridge.

The sign represents early twentieth-century advertising methods and shows how corporations displayed their brands at massive scale during that era. It remains one of the few examples of this size still standing from that period in the Boston area.

The sign is located near Memorial Drive and is easily visible from the street. In 2016 the original neon lighting was replaced with modern LED technology, making it brighter and more efficient today.

The sign follows a specific lighting pattern that runs in three parts and repeats every fourteen seconds. This rhythmic flashing was a clever technique used to catch and hold the attention of passersby.

Location: Massachusetts

GPS coordinates: 42.35639,-71.11528

Latest update: December 10, 2025 20:08