Friday, January 23, 2009

It is Embarassing to Be Caught and Killed for Stupid Reasons

Though I miss the grime, and they've practically billboarded the theater to death, Disney pulled off a beautiful restoration of the New Amsterdam. For some reason, oddball poets had free rein over the 42nd marquees back in the day. 

25 comments:

Rob said...

I can't say I'm a fan of the new billboards replacing the marquees..

Unknown said...

It is great to see how places get new appearance....Also the headline of your new post is interesting..

Ken Mac said...

headline taken from the marquee. All the old marquees on 42d were used for these oddball sayings in the early 90s, before the development rot set in

boweryboogie said...

Well, at least the theater is still there. It could've been much worse. I agree with Dusty, though, not a fan of those billboards.

Anonymous said...

"...se what is dominant in a culture to change it quickly."

Use, maybe?

"Lack of charisma can be fatal."

Daryl said...

I work 'in Times Sq' for the past 8+ yrs and the change has been oh so very Disneyesque and not just to the theatres they've renovated and filled.

JamesChanceOfficial said...

That photo MAY have been taken during the Times Square Show in 1980. An invite for it can be seen here: http://www.nyu.edu/greyart/exhibits/downtown/designs2.html.

As it says: "In June 1980, more than a hundred artists installed their work in an empty massage parlor near Times Square. Organized by Colab, the Times Square Show included graffiti artists, feminist artists, political artists, Xerox artists, performance artists, and everyone in between."

OR...I do remember many of the signs being used for this type of "poetry" sometime in the early 90's (maybe?) as theaters closed down and they sat there empty.

Ken Mac said...

Yes, I took the pic in 1992, the day after the "42d Street Now!" renovation campaign began. but thanks for that history and info..

tr3nta said...

I love the work your doing with this before after comparison photos...

JamesChanceOfficial said...

Thats it Ken. I remember walking down 42nd Street at the time and thinking how strange, but cool, those marquees were.

Judy said...

I love these before and after pictures, fun to look for the changes all around.

Laurie Allee said...

Oh, I love the old weird poetry marquis. Great comparative shots, KM.

Daryl said...

Thanks for the visit ... I must remember to shoot Henry Miller's Theatre frontage

Tanya Breese said...

LOL, I wonder what that was about? I love comparison shots :)

julia said...

I also like the comparison photos very much, as you know often we find new super cool buildings all round looking all the same while it is the unique old ones that have real interest. Sad what I'm missing on your blog, I dont get out into the blogsphere very often.

The Green Cat said...

It was part of a Creative Time exhibit. I wish they had kept the seedy buildings with the haiku on the marquees.
http://www.creativetime.org/programs/archive/1994/42ndStreetYear2/42street/index1.html

marley said...

I love all these before and after type photos. This theatre series is great.

Virginia said...

KM,
You have a good thing going here. Keep it up. I thank Disney for the reno but they need to back off the signage a titch.
V

-K- said...

I'm going to take a semi-educated guess and say that marquee quote was from Jenny Holzer, a NYC word artist.

Virginia said...

KM,
Why don't you scope it out and tell me when the Cheyenne pulls out of Dodge. Then I will be standing on the interstate, camera in hand waiting!!! Deal?

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

WOW!! They really did a nice job here Ken.

Dave said...

I am interested in the before/after photos you have here too Ken. - Dave

Jane Hards Photography said...

Love the before and after shots but I agree Disney well I'm not totally in favour of. Too sanitized for me.

Jerez Sherry said...

very cool, imagining the days and seasons of these old buildings, neighborhoods and 'venues'..lol...wow, big changes happened pretty fast!

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