Quote:
Originally Posted by Busy Bee
I too think it will likely look pretty slick. But let me use this space to lament how little of the charming old mechanical and neon signs exist in Times Sq anymore. Everything is essentially an enormous programmable LED TV screen. It's bright - almost too bright. And it's boring.
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Back in the '80s, I took a wonderful tour led by Tama Starr*, Pres of the Artkraft-Strauss company, highlighting the 'Spectaculars' of Times Sq. as they called them..
We got to see their workshop (NEON fabrication!!) and the highlight for me was going up to the Coca-Cola sign. We passed a noisy room full of clacking relays and went out onto a little maintenance platform in front of the sign - and MAN - you could feel the heat radiating from the bulbs... Unforgettable!
*She's co-authored a fantastic book chronicling the pre-LED/video screens spectaculars of times Square from 1892 to 1998. It's called "Signs and Wonders - The Spectacular Marketing of America" Currency/Doubleday