{"product_id":"vintage-illini-ballroom-decatur-il-weekly-dance-night-wooden-display-sign","title":"Vintage Illini Ballroom (Decatur, IL) Weekly Dance Night Wooden Display Sign","description":"\u003cp\u003ec. 1930s\/1940s; Illini Ballroom - Decatur, IL\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHand-painted wooden advertising sign promoting weekly dances at the Illini Ballroom, featuring bold block lettering and script accents in red and black on a cream ground, topped with a single red star. The sign reads \"Dancing Every Sat. Nite\" and identifies Lew Hogan as manager, with additional lettering noting the ballroom's availability for private parties. The form is vertically oriented with a peaked top, mounted to its original red-painted base, and executed in a straightforward commercial style intended for street-front or interior display.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Illini Ballroom was a prominent social venue in Decatur during the late 1920s through the 1940s, serving as a hub for regional dance culture at the height of the big band and orchestra era. Under the management of Lew Hogan-himself a Decatur orchestra director and active musician during the 1920s and early 1930s-the ballroom hosted nationally recognized touring acts as well as respected Midwestern bands. Performers included Ben Bradley, Jack Coombes, Benny Strong, and their respective orchestras, drawing large crowds for weekly dances and special events. Period newspaper coverage documents the ballroom as a central gathering place, with hundreds of couples attending major dances and civic celebrations.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nShows minor paint wear, surface scuffs, and light edge wear consistent with age and use.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n16\" W x 6\" D x 25\" H\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nMM - 18721 - 012126\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor information regarding shipping, please visit our Terms \u0026amp; Conditions page \u003ca class=\"GeneratedLink\" href=\"https:\/\/industrialartifacts.net\/pages\/shipping\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Industrial Artifacts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42893636239403,"sku":"18721","price":1100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0194\/8170\/files\/e84b5d12-a136-5208-a075-5bb1a1d7aaf8.jpg?v=1769201539","url":"https:\/\/industrialartifacts.net\/products\/vintage-illini-ballroom-decatur-il-weekly-dance-night-wooden-display-sign","provider":"Industrial Artifacts","version":"1.0","type":"link"}