An illuminated display provided by exciting a phosphor surface to luminescence and heating selected areas of the phosphor surface to quench luminescence thereat to produce a desired display pattern. One display panel version has a plurality of separate and spaced thin film resistors bonded on a support surface provided by an insulative substratum, with the resistors and support surface covered by an overlay of phosphor. The overlay is an even uniform dispersal of particles of several different photoluminescent compounds, each producing a different color upon excitation and having a different quenching temperature range. Thin film conductors connect the resistors to control circuits which are completed in accordance with a control logic provided to apply heating power to selected ones of the resistors to define a desired display pattern which may be varied in color and tone according to the heating temperature set by a power regulator. Vanadium dioxide thermal elements, each contacting an end of a respective resistor, upon reaching a threshold temperature, latch in a separate power circuit which continues to heat the resistors after the initial heating thereof.