Forgotten NY

http://www.forgotten-ny.com is a web site dedicated to bringing forgotten aspects of New York City that have been forgotten. All parts of the city ranging from old street lamps and run down cemeteries to parts or even whole neighborhoods that you wouldn’t believe are part of the city. There are old advertisements that have lasted longer then there products and subway signs that haven’t been correct for years. This site shows you a side of that city that most people never even imagined existed.

One section of the site is dedicated to old advertisements that have truly withstood the test of time. These advertisements can be found on the front, sides or even the back of old building all over the city. Just walking around the city, you can find these artifacts of last generations advertising business. The natural preservation of these ads has been greatly aided by the lack of sunlight they have been exposed to. Some date back to the 1800’s like an ad for Martinson’s coffee between 9^th and 10^th Avenues in Inwood, Manhattan. That company was started by Joseph Martinson in 1898 when he began selling coffee from a pushcart.

With current ads coming in the digital age it is conceivable that these ads will out live the ads being put out today. While an advertisement on TV only runs for a month or two these ads have been representing their products for over a hundred years. Even billboards have moved into the digital age. Although this seems like an improvement over old advertisements, how long can a digital billboard last without maintenance.