Ben Passikoff

The Writing on the Wall: Economic and Historical Observations of New York's "Ghost Signs" Ben Passikoff

Praise for The Writing on the Wall: This fascinating little book offers up a procession of memories floating on the surface of the present. Ben Passikoff shows us that even in headlong New York Faulkner spoke the truth when he said, "the past is not history. It is not even over." A quiet unassuming gem of a book that captures how the tectonic shifts of New York's economy and urban development have left their mark on the surface of the city today. BENNO SCHMIDT, Chairman of the Board of the City University of New York andFormer President of Yale University Ben Passikoff has created an important record of the cultural, social and commercial development of New York City in the 20th century. GERALD PROTHEROE, Ph. D. Chairman, History Department, The Browning School and author of Searching for Security in a New Europe Walking the streets of Manhattan, there is nothing more charming, more nostalgic, even more mystical, than the "Writing on the Wall" art of New York's fading past. The visual preservation of the handsomely lettered wall advertisements of yesteryear painted on the sides of our town's still standing buildings, passionately sought out and photographed by a respectful 16-year-old student, offers the most exciting visual concept for a book about New York in many a year. GEORGE LOIS, Legendary Ad Man and author of The Art of Advertising andCovering the 60's