These five signs are the ones which piqued my interest the most in my trek down Broad Street, from Temple University campus to Center City.
This first one is not PhotoShopped, and if one goes to this location (near the intersection of Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue), they can see that I'm telling the truth. It struck me as amusing, because the red sign in the foreground is indicating that 1700 North Broad is to the left of the approacher (the arrows correspond to the different relative locations of 1700 N. Broad depending on which direction one approaches the sign). However, as one can plainly see, 1700 North Broad is less than ten feet from the sign! It does not make any sense, and it elicited a slight fit of amusement from me.
This second one is an interesting case, because the Freedom Theatre sign does not actually indicate the red brick building it is built onto the side of. The brick building, according to that wrought green sign on the far side of the building, was "once the residence of Edwin Forrest, the greatest tragedian of his time". See that red and white building in the background? That is the Freedom Theatre. But as I walked past it, it became clear that the building was not currently occupied; the doors and windows were covered by rusty steel covers, and the plants outside were dry and dying. The sign caught my eye for this reason.
This third one is a rather outdated sign, and that is what caught my eye. It marks the entrance to a building known as The Met, but the sign on the left is the real clincher of this image. It came out faded, but anticipating this, I copied it down and will transcribe the left sign here: "Come Celebrate With Us the 98th Anniverary [sic] of The Met Nov 13-18, 2005". It is now nearly six years since this sign should have been taken down. Additionally, the building appears to have fallen into disrepair, judging from this image; the paint is being worn down, and the door itself framed with slabs of plank-wood. This building has fallen out of care, and it has not entered the hands of a more caring owner in at least six years.
This fourth picture I present is of a car dealership... unpictured is the "Space Available" sign. Like The Met, this place has left ownership, but no one has bothered to remove any of the signage. Regrettably, as I walked past, I noticed yet another "Space Available" sign, this one juxtaposed with a sign advertising the work on cars that this place does.
This fifth and final picture is interesting to me, because it shows a microcosm of the history of this building. It was built, apparently, in the days when it the letter 'U' was either not in use, or not yet invented, because it is written as "ABBOT BVILDING". The juxtaposition of that and the "Jake's Pizza Grill" sign is what caught my eye as I neared City Hall.
This first one is not PhotoShopped, and if one goes to this location (near the intersection of Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue), they can see that I'm telling the truth. It struck me as amusing, because the red sign in the foreground is indicating that 1700 North Broad is to the left of the approacher (the arrows correspond to the different relative locations of 1700 N. Broad depending on which direction one approaches the sign). However, as one can plainly see, 1700 North Broad is less than ten feet from the sign! It does not make any sense, and it elicited a slight fit of amusement from me.
This second one is an interesting case, because the Freedom Theatre sign does not actually indicate the red brick building it is built onto the side of. The brick building, according to that wrought green sign on the far side of the building, was "once the residence of Edwin Forrest, the greatest tragedian of his time". See that red and white building in the background? That is the Freedom Theatre. But as I walked past it, it became clear that the building was not currently occupied; the doors and windows were covered by rusty steel covers, and the plants outside were dry and dying. The sign caught my eye for this reason.
This third one is a rather outdated sign, and that is what caught my eye. It marks the entrance to a building known as The Met, but the sign on the left is the real clincher of this image. It came out faded, but anticipating this, I copied it down and will transcribe the left sign here: "Come Celebrate With Us the 98th Anniverary [sic] of The Met Nov 13-18, 2005". It is now nearly six years since this sign should have been taken down. Additionally, the building appears to have fallen into disrepair, judging from this image; the paint is being worn down, and the door itself framed with slabs of plank-wood. This building has fallen out of care, and it has not entered the hands of a more caring owner in at least six years.
This fourth picture I present is of a car dealership... unpictured is the "Space Available" sign. Like The Met, this place has left ownership, but no one has bothered to remove any of the signage. Regrettably, as I walked past, I noticed yet another "Space Available" sign, this one juxtaposed with a sign advertising the work on cars that this place does.
This fifth and final picture is interesting to me, because it shows a microcosm of the history of this building. It was built, apparently, in the days when it the letter 'U' was either not in use, or not yet invented, because it is written as "ABBOT BVILDING". The juxtaposition of that and the "Jake's Pizza Grill" sign is what caught my eye as I neared City Hall.
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