MINIMART FREE ASPIRIN — Roadside Compassion Highway 91

💊 Roadside Compassion in a Transactional City

"You can't put it on a sign and not do it." — Kenneth Lehman, owner

Before Las Vegas became a city of mega-resorts, Highway 91 was lined with mom-and-pop businesses that actually cared about travelers. The MINIMART sign at Allen Post's Union 76 station promised — and delivered — something radical: free aspirin and tender sympathy. No purchase required.

For 44 years (1957-2001), this two-sided arrow sign guided gamblers nursing losses, families road-tripping to California, and anyone who needed help.

🤝 The Promise That Was Kept

Owner Kenneth Lehman insisted his staff actually deliver on the sign's promise:

• Free aspirin for hangovers, headaches, and heartbreak
• Free answers to any question (directions, recommendations, personal advice)
• Tender sympathy — genuine emotional support from trained staff

In a city built on separating visitors from their money, the MINIMART built a business around giving things away for free.

📚 Denise Scott Brown's Perfect Example

In 1968, Denise Scott Brown photographed gas stations along Highway 91 for Learning from Las Vegas. The MINIMART sign is a textbook example of her core thesis: "symbol in space before form in space" — the sign communicates before the building.

This is the decorated shed in its most democratic, human form.

😊 Vernacular Humor as Cultural Artifact

"Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy" captures uniquely American roadside humor — irreverent, honest, surprisingly tender. It acknowledges the human condition: we all make mistakes, overindulge, need help sometimes.

It's the opposite of Vegas's usual pitch. Instead of "Win Big! Get Rich!" it says: "We know you're hurting. We're here for you."

🏥 From Museum Storage to Medical District

2016: Photographed in its raw, unrestored state at The Neon Museum Boneyard — the configuration captured in this edition.

2024: Restored by master craftspeople at YESCO. Now permanently installed on W. Charleston Boulevard, in front of University Medical Center — on loan from The Neon Museum to the City of Las Vegas.

The sign's message of compassion has found its perfect final home — but this photograph preserves its museum chapter forever.

📊 The Numbers

• 1957 — Sign installed at Allen Post's Union 76
• 44 years of operation on Highway 91
• 2001 — Station closed, sign donated to The Neon Museum
• 2016 — Photographed for this edition (museum configuration)
• 2024 — Restored by YESCO, relocated to Medical District

📊 EDITION STRUCTURE

After Early Access, remaining editions will be available exclusively through international gallery partners at gallery prices (+50-60%).

🖼️  Museum-Quality Mounting

• Archival pigment print on museum-grade photographic paper
• Face-mounted to optical acrylic with aluminum composite backing
  
• Professional hanging system included
• Strictly limited edition, signed and numbered by the artist
• Certificate of Authenticity included
• Produced by certified fine art laboratories
• Production time: 7-12 business days

🤝 Social Impact

10-15% of each sale supports The Neon Museum Las Vegas Sign Conservation Fund — preserving endangered neon craftsmanship for future generations.

📜 Certificate of Authenticity

Each artwork includes:

• Numbered certificate signed by the artist
• Historical documentation: Kenneth Lehman, Highway 91, Learning from Las Vegas
• Provenance note: Photographed 2016, Neon Museum Boneyard (configuration no longer exists)
• Edition number and total (e.g., 3/30)

Photographs from The Neon Museum, Las Vegas collection.