Times Square Spectacular: Lighting Up Broadway (Hardcover)

by Darcy Tell (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A visual history of Times Square from the late 19th century to today, rich with rarely seen photographs of the neighborhood's shimmering, pre-World War II electric advertising signs.

In Times Square Spectacular, Darcy Tell traces the 100-year story of Times Square using rare photographs and hand-colored lantern slides, maps, restaurant menus, theater programs, magazine covers, postcards, sheet music, and archival documents. Presenting even the most familiar elements of Times Square lore with fresh, eye-catching detail, she pays special tribute to ad man extraordinaire Douglas Leigh's arrival in the early 1930s, which brought a stunning new era of electric brightness and innovation. Leigh dominated the Broadway streetscape for nearly 50 years, stopping traffic with special-effects billboards such as the legendary Camel cigarettes "smoke rings" sign.

Covering both Times Square's infamous decline as well as its hard-wrought, present-day revival, Times Square Spectacular is the first pictorial history of the legendary American landmark.

About the Author

Darcy Tell is a senior staff member and editor at the Smithsonian Institution's Archives of American Art. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian; 1 edition (November 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060884339
• ISBN-13: 978-0060884338
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 0.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #707,898 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what most people think about, when they think about Times Square, March 30, 2009

By	J. Guild (Toronto,Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Times Square is one of the best known spots in the world and it brings back memories to anyone who even hears it mentioned. To many, it is the spot where New Year's Eve is celebrated ,whether being there or on TV. To others it brings back celebrations at the end of the War.To others ,it conjurs up images of the news headlines running on the Times Building. To others, it is the strolls through it,going to Off Broadway Shows.To others, it is Jack Dempseys Restaurant or simply munching on a Nathan's Coney Island Hot Dog.Back in 1969 and a few years after ,I spent a lot of time in New York and often strolled through Times Square and the surrounding area,both during the day and in the evenings;and even though it was pretty much run down and sleazy,and I suppose even somewhat dangerous;I thouroughly enjoyed every moment I spent there.As much as has been said about it at that time;I never witnessed any actual crime taking place or anyone being bothered. However;Times Square had an atmosphere about it that was like no other place.
When I saw this book,I thought it would bring many images and whatnot back to me ,but that is not the kind of a book this is.The book is not about the people ,the things that took place there,the feelings and ambience,or in any way an attempt to portray the essence and "soul" of Times Square and what made it what it was.
Rather,the book deals with the physical aspect of the streets,the buildings,the lights and signs,the political ramifications of zoning ,organizations and groups influencing the efforts to rebuild and redevelop the physical aspects of the areas.
If that aspect of Times Square is what interests you;well, maybe so will this book.
However,if you have ever spent time there;this book will do little in the way of showing what Times Square was all about and why,if you were ever there,what it meant to you.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Times Square Spectacular, April 8, 2008

By	Ira Phil Freshman "Phil Freshman" (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book contains a trove of compelling imagery covering the century since Times Square got its name. Darcy Tell nimbly traces the history of this most famous of American commercial districts, focusing on how signage there was born and grew by dizzying leaps and bounds, from large-scale graphic signboards to increasingly complex and alluring electrical extravaganzas. Particularly fascinating are her profiles of the designers and promoters behind the Square's special-effects billboards, such as O. J. Gude and Douglas Leigh. We learn how some of the more traffic-stopping displays, including the Camel cigarettes "smoke rings," were created. Finally, Tell cogently conveys not only the sordid tale of the Square's post-World War II decline but also the immense struggles involved in reclaiming the area as a civic showplace during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Illustrations include copious rare photographs as well as maps, restaurant menus, theater programs, postcards, and sheet music.