Posted on August 24, 2009
Love Letter
If you’re from Philly, you probably know about the Mural Arts Program. You also might know about Steve Powers’ Love Letter Project. You might even know that Love Letter is a Mural Arts Program project. If you’re familiar… Read More
Posted on September 15, 2008
Tiles Profiled by Hellion Internet Reporter
Last week I was contacted by CBS3 internet reporter (and former Miss Pennsylvania) Nicole Brewer about creating a site profile for the station. The webcast would chronicle the fascinating world of toynbeeidea.com and more specifically my bizarre obsession… Read More
Posted on July 21, 2008
Fascinating List of Intersections
Since it’s too hot to think of anything interesting, I’ll post a list of raw data. Below is the ever-expanding list of 2008 Toynbee Tiles. What the tiler may have lacked in quality, he more than made up… Read More
Posted on June 23, 2008
New York City = House of Hades
About a year ago, several large, colorful street tiles appeared in Buffalo, NY. By winter the “House of Hades” tiles had been completely destroyed by snowplows. But their creators have been tenacious. Earlier this year, a new batch… Read More
Posted on December 26, 2007
Toynbee, 2001 and the Planet Jupiter
I just realized that I never posted this. As I was being born back in 1979, a Philadelphian came across this passage on pgs 139-142 of Arnold Toynbee’s autobiography, Experiences changing his life forever: — Man’s situation is,… Read More
Posted on December 8, 2007
Beautiful Mary
Beginning as early as 1980 and ending about a decade later, wheatpaste fliers were glued to bus stations, Communist Workers Party and USA Today newspaper boxes, lampposts, signs and other public surfaces across center city Philadelphia. No photos… Read More
Posted on November 23, 2007
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good: While driving to Maryland this Thanksgiving, I decided to stop at the rest areas that my bladder schedule usually compels me to pass over. That meant an early stop just south of Wilmington Delaware. Why this… Read More
Posted on October 14, 2007
Street Preachings
What do Charles, Darwin, Carl Sagan, L. Ron Hubbard, Friedrich Nietzsche, and the 9-11 terrorists all have in common? Not much, but all are targets of a Reading Terminal area street prophet: . . . . .
Posted on October 9, 2007
Penny Suit Man
A couple weeks ago I finally saw Penny Suit Man. Penny Suit Man is one of Philly’s more elusive street characters. Like the Toynbee tiler, Mister James the El-Prophet*, the elderly lady at 12th and Market that dresses… Read More
Posted on August 29, 2007
playing to the crowd
I’m thinking of switching to an all Toynbee tile format. Actually I’m not, but it might be a good idea. Tile posts have the most comments are the most googled and have the most external links. Clearly this… Read More