DEATH OF A FADED AD

by Kevin Walsh

There was this grand old faded ad for a shoe shine place at the subway entrance/exit at 95th Street and 4th Avenue seen here. It could have gone all the way back to 1925, when the station opened. I last shot it on a ForgottenTour in Bay Ridge in 2005, but it survived several years after that.

This is what I found when I passed by today:

 

Sick transit, Gloria!

3/12/13

8 comments

Jeff M. March 11, 2013 - 11:10 pm

Does that look like it was an officially sanctioned mural that was later tagged, or was the whole thing a do-it-yourself project?

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Bill Tweeddale March 12, 2013 - 7:57 am

I used to see that ad throughout the mid-60’s when I’d take the 4th Ave subway to 95th St and catch a bus going over the “Gangplank” to Staten Island. I don’t recall ever seeing the shoe repair shop.

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Joe Fliel March 12, 2013 - 7:03 pm

The shoe repair shop was there when I had to take summer school classes at Adelphi Academy during the summer of 1976. Not because I was completely stupid, mind you. I contracted scarlet fever earlier that year and missed three months of school while attending Brooklyn Tech. 🙂

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Joe Fliel March 12, 2013 - 9:12 am

Typical. More urban cave drawings being palmed off as “art”. Sorry, Kevin; but, I’m not into fawning over what amounts to nothing more than badly drawn crap which looks like it was perpetrated by a group of seven year olds.

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Frank Lynch March 14, 2013 - 6:09 am

What made you think Kevin prefers the change?

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Joe Fliel March 14, 2013 - 10:36 am

I wouldn’t make any assumptions as to Kevin’s personal likes/dislikes. I was only referring to myself when I wrote that comment. One of the quirks of grammatical structure is that the writer’s intent is not always obvious when reading what amounts to thinking aloud. Pardon me, I need to refill my 32 oz. soda cup.

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Kevin Walsh March 14, 2013 - 9:02 am

? I liked it the old way better

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Marie M September 30, 2013 - 11:39 am

I live close by and saw the ad twice a day on my way in and out of the subway. I actually sent Forgotten NY a few photos of the old ad several years ago. I was sad when it was painted over.

Reply

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