A display device has a front panel including a solar battery on its surface. At least one window is formed in the solar battery to permit viewing a character formed in the front panel. Energy produced by the solar battery is stored in a storage battery for illuminating light emitting devices situated behind the front panel. The illumination provides background lighting for characters in the window of the front panel. Another embodiment of the invention uses a solar battery with an illuminated layer behind the front panel on which characters are displayed by either removing unwanted segments of a pre-formed character on the front panel or by adding segments of the characters with masking material.