Neon signs were prolific in the People’s Republic of Poland during the Cold War. After Socialist Realism died with Stalin in the late 50s, a new, less restricted period of creative expression began in Poland, and neon rather oddly became the favoured medium of city authorities looking for an inexpensive way to brighten the grey urban landscape and create a veneer of economic prosperity at a time when stores shelves were practically bare. During the ‘neonisation’ programme of the 1960s and ’70s, the country’s most gifted architects and graphic designers were commissioned to create unique neon advertising for everything from Polish products and state-run companies to cultural landmarks like cinemas, theatres, nightclubs and train stations. Vibrant, stylish and often incredibly creative neon signs were an integral part of the urban landscape of communist Poland.By the late '70s, however, the communist economy was so bad that it was no longer viable to keep the country’s neons illuminated, and once the plugs were pulled many were left to ruin, while others were demolished along with the buildings they once brightened during the disdain for the PRL regime that predictably marked the early post-communist years. Recently, however, attitudes have changed, and Poland’s ‘neon age’ is being recognised as an important part of the country’s historical and artistic heritage. Neon is back in vogue, and not only are those neon signs that still survive in Poland’s cities being preserved and restored, but an entire new generation of neons are brightening the thresholds of modern businesses.