#times square

[hyenabeanz]

I don't disagree with this, but it's kind of funny for Times Square due to its history.

Tines square didn't get all those ads organically. The city mandated them. They worked hard for those eyesores.

Back in the 1960s-80s, Times Square was VERY different. It was full of crime, and a fairly dilapidated area. It was also full of things like x rated theaters, peep shows, and an area known for having a ton of prostitution. New York in general in that time and the early 90s had an image of crime and violence and seediness, and Times Square was what people pointed to as the embodiment of it. The dark and gritty of Batman's Gotham? That's what it's modeled on. Same for classic TMNT, and so many bits of early 90s pop culture that depicts "scary violent big city." (These depictions are also why the infamous, racist, incredibly destructive stop and frisk policies got implemented.)

So the city started passing laws to entice businesses to build in times square (to gentrify the shit out of it.) Part of the laws also required a certain amount of illuminated signage, because light helps deter crime, and i guess giant pepsi billboards and endless tourists just aren't the right ambiance for sex goods/experiences for most people. (Prudes.)

[annapolisrose]

Of course there's Times Square.

[yodaprod]

1981

[archiveofaffinities]

Ernst Haas, Times Square, 1952

[nevver]

The end of the affair, Emil Schulthess

[oldshowbiz]

LaffMovie was a comedy grindhouse. It operated 24 hours a day in Times Square, showing an endless loop of Laurel and Hardy, Marx Brothers, Three Stooges and other beloved comedy stuff.

[haikumaker]

End of an era.

Payphone heap, 42nd street, 1984

[the-night-picture-collector]

/ Samuel Gottscho, Times Square at Dusk, 1932

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Times Square, July 1953.

Photo: Dennis Johnson Flickr

[semioticapocalypse]

Diane Arbus. Mr. Peanut in Times Square, NY. 1956

I Am Collective Memories   •    Follow me, — says Visual Ratatosk

[kafkasapartment]

New Year’s Eve, Times Square, Manhattan, 1959. Henri Cartier-Bresson. Silver gelatin print.

[evan-collins90]

Warner Bros. Studio Store - Times Square, NYC (1990's)

"To create an exciting retail environment for Warner Bros.' new store on the Great White Way, designers incorporated bright colors, excitement and entertainment that mimics Times Square itself. A dramatic glass window wall soars six stories above the street, providing unbroken views of the shopping floors within. Separate red, blue and green color environments are visible through the building's glass-and-steel facade. Hard-to-miss 3D neon signs featuring popular Looney Tune characters are placed on the wall by the escalator, and vintage neon and accent lighting highlight the "New York New York" shop."

Designed by JGA Inc., Southfield MI

Scanned from the Visual Merchandising 2 (2000)

[yodaprod]

New York (1997)

[archiveofaffinities]

Robert Frank, New York City, 1947

[gacougnol]

Unknown

Times Square, 1956

[scavengedluxury]

Times Square at the intersection of 7th Avenue and W 47th Street, New York, 1990. From the Budapest Municipal Photography Company archive.