Object ID
2002.26.1
Object Name
Sign
Event
10th anniversary of the National Hellenic Museum
Measurements
24.765 cm. W x 0.3175 cm. D x 35.0850200000 cm. L, Item (Overall)
Material
Fiberglass
Object Entities
Object Description
An honorary street sign. The sign is made of blue and white fiberglass. Most of the sign is white, but the front is mostly blue. At the top, in white text, the sign says "Dedicated to the Hellenic Museum & Cultural Center of Chicago on the occasion of the 10th anniversary June 2002". Below this, in white is an image of a man with a mustache. The the left, in both Greek and English, are the words "Greek-American Businessman", while to the left is"1929-1990". Below the picture is the word "Honorary", with two stars on each side of the word. Below this is "Dr. John Christakis way". Below the blue area is a small white are that explains, in both Greek and English, that this sign was made by "Tofos".
Origin
This honorary street sign was made by Tofos, a Greek company. which apparently creates mock street signs in honor of historical figures. The company is owned by Marcos A. Arvanitis, who donated this sign to the museum in honor of the museum's 10th anniversary in 2002. This sign was made in honor of Peter Kogeones. Kogeones was born in Greece in 1929 and immigrated to Chicago in 1955, where he became a partner at his uncle's grocery, Diana Grocery. He later transformed the grocery into a restaurant and moved it to a different location. He claimed to have begun he tradition yelling "opaa!" while serving saganaki. He was credited with helping to establish Chicago's Greektown community and was referred to as the "Mayor of Greektown." He passed away in 1990.
Rights and Reproduction
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Citation
Sign, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/11133. Accessed 04/30/24.