After 100 gallons of primer and paint, the Hollywood Sign Trust today unveiled the cleaned icon before the landmark’s 90th birthday (contd):

Workers needed nine weeks to remove all existing paint from the 45-foot letters on Mount Lee, who then applied two coats of white lacquer. The Trust said Sherwin-Williams contributed the paint for the project at a cost of $140K — the entire restoration cost $175K. Then-LA Times publisher Chandler had the sign built in 1923 to tout his Hollywoodland real estate development, and it originally was to have been taken down after 18 months. And we thought it was built as a homage to Deadline Hollywood’s logo — you learn something new every day.