- [Geoffrey] This flashy technique of solid gold sign painting was pioneered in Chicago, but it almost became a lost art until Andrew and Kelsey McClellan came along.

- We had painted signs back in Denver, and then when we came out here for school is when we got introduced to their gold leaf signs and all the gold leaf in the Loop, and we were just enamored with it.

It was, like, almost like magic to us.

- I noticed a signature on one of 'em, and so I googled him.

- Kelsey's search turned up one of the last gold leaf sign painters, Robert Frese, who defied the trend of gilder's guarding their secrets and took the young artists under his wing.

Were you worried that this was just gonna die?

- Yeah, I was worried that I would be the last generation, and then it'd be completely gone, yes.

And I'm really proud of 'em.

I mean, they're doing phenomenal work now.

- [Geoffrey] Robert taught the McClellans to make gold leaf signs in a way that's particular to Chicago.

- Chicago style gilding is essentially the convex effect on letters where it gives it kind of that 3D look.

That was popularized here at the turn of the century.

There wasn't really electricity widespread at that point, and so they were the brightest signs.

With the reflection, it was just very attractive.

- Fortunately, the McClellans proved their mettle in handling this valuable and fragile material.

Uh, oh, I just knocked some off.

- [Andrew] Don't worry, don't worry.

This is just a sample.

- [Kelsey] That's- - [Geoffrey] Oh, look at that.

- You could like rub it in between your hands, and it would just disappear.

- Really?

(electro pounce buzzing) To start, Andrew makes a stencil using a gadget I would never come near.

- This machine right here is called an electro pounce.

It essentially electrocutes little holes into the paper.

(button clicks) You don't wanna accidentally touch yourself with it.

It is very unpleasant.

- [Geoffrey] Whoa.

(electro pounce buzzing) Oh my gosh.

And this is for what kind of store?

- This is for a record store.

- [Geoffrey] Once the stencil's done, the work moves on site.

- And we're gonna transfer the design onto the glass.

(upbeat music) (water sloshes) - So there you go.

You're laying it on.

(upbeat music) Yeah, look at it.

It just jumps onto the window.

I thought he was not as good at this as you are.

- Oh, no.

- But you're trusting him to do a whole window on his own.

- [Kelsey] He'll probably do better than me.

(Kelsey and Geoffrey laugh) Anything that goes outside of where the area we want it to be gold, we'll just clean off.

(upbeat music) (glass squeaking) - [Geoffrey] So why did you wanna have a hand painted sign on your window?

- It was one of the things I was drawn to, is the fact that, like, it's part of the history of Chicago, and now that they are doing this, everywhere I look, I'm seeing, ah, gold leaf signs.

(upbeat music) - Signs make up a part of the visual landscape of a place.

The Chicago style of gold leaf is part of what makes Chicago beautiful.

We have a lot of pride in carrying on that tradition, which could have easily been lost.

All right.

- So what client is this for?

(upbeat music) (Geoffrey laughs) - There we go.

Wow.