Ghost Sign Gone

Neon expert Thomas Rinaldi brings news that the Necchi Sewing Machine ghost sign has vanished from 25th Street and 7th Avenue.


photo: Walter Grutchfield's 14 to 42

It stood high above Chelsea since 1951, the words "world's finest" and the image of a sewing machine fading over the years. (See also Frank Jump's close-up shot.)

The excellent site 14 to 42 has a little bit of info about it and the Necchi company, with a link to this original layout of the sign by the Mack Sign Company:



What is on the wall now? Mr. Rinaldi snapped this shot of an ad for Amstel Light. Will it still be here, a faded and ghostly reminder of a lost city, 60 years from now?

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