Van Brunt. And observe the Kentile-clad father. Was it Brooklyn Industries that first popularized this quintessential new Brooklyn/old industry image on a t-shirt? Like countless others, I'm sad to hear of the old sign coming down. Coming over the viaduct, on an outward or a homeward bound outing - that glorious start or end of almost all my train rides - will seem incomplete without it looming into view or receding into the distance. But I'm not sure resurrecting it nearby (if it survives the take-down) is such a great idea. It would be odd to see it at a different point in the landscape. And I'm always of two minds about the recycling of old signs or other architectural artefacts. I love to see these things preserved, but once the businesses themselves are gone, watching them accessorize a high-end restaurant or boutique wine store is sometimes worse than letting them fade quietly from memory. Just give the past a little dignity and move along.
Of course, I'm looking through picture upon Kentile picture I've taken over the years. From the train, from the street, in winter, in summer, on misty morning or blazing sunrise. With all that photogenic beauty, even an amateur had a hard time taking a bad shot.
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