The first public demonstration of neon lighting took place at the Paris Motor Show in December 1910. Two 38-foot-long, gas-filled tubes illuminated the peristyle of the Grand Palais, where the show was held. Invented by French physicist Georges Claude, the light glowed only in reddish orange. Businesses quickly embraced the flame-colored light, allowing Claude to sell neon-sign franchises worldwide for $100,000, plus royalties. When technical advances over the years expanded the lights' palette to 150 shades, neon signs could be seen banishing the night from Las Vegas to London.