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, indeed, paradoxical. Man has a mind that can comprehend infinite time and space, and he has a […]
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 are known to exist, but one witness remembered, To my continual regret, I never copied down or […]
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 change of routine? Because I knew I’d find this: For anyone out there who might possibly care […]
RESUCITAR MORTO
Sometime in the early to mid-1980’s the Toynbee tiler made a trip to Brazil, Argentia and Chile, laying tiles in Rio, Buenos Aires and Santiago. These were the tiles that made a lot of people stop and take the mystery seriously. There’s something about an international mystery that’s a lot more intriguing than one restricted […]
This is just awesome
House of Hades tiles in Buffalo, NY: click here for many, many more.
Toynbee in Edison
For months I’ve heard about the amazing Indian food in Edison, NJ and for months I’ve wanted to go. But a trip to north Jersey for a single meal? The idea sat in the back of my mind never making it to the top of the list of things to do. Then a few weeks […]
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: . . . . .
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 like a school girl and smears lipstick across her face, Sign Guy**, Jesus is White guy, the […]
it’s about time
I didn’t make this, but hats off to whoever did.
Copycat Hard at Work
Today’s tile news comes from a small town just outside of Indianapolis, Noblesville, Indiana. Since at least last December, a copycat Toynbee tiler has been hard at work making and gluing tiles all over town. Here’s to you, copycat tiler. Way to keep the movement going: Toynbee tile Fishers Indiana 38th & Illinois Location Unknown