Brockport, NY
I’m in Brockport shooting a job for MJ Herson and the college. Peter Carroll is here too and he and I had a nice meal at a local pub. It is an interesting little town on the Erie Canal and the people here are very nice.
We didn’t go into Barber’s but they had great neon.
Waterloo, NY
Waterloo, NY is an interesting little town. It is not too far from Willard and I have passed through it a lot since it lies on one of the main routes between the Thruway and Ithaca. There was a Masonic Lodge on this corner (Virginia and Williams Streets) which was torn down in 2007. When that building came down, this sign became visible again.
I walked up to the brick to get a closer look and it is in very good condition. It is a complete shame that the Masonic building had to be razed, but at least something interesting came out of its destruction.
Earl’s Court Tube Station
I have taken this very same photograph multiple times. I was looking through my contact sheets for an earlier version and realized just how much has changed over the years in terms of photography. Shoot film>Develop>Dry>Cut>Put in sleeves>Contact sheets>Edit>Enlarge>Make some postcards>Mail to 3 friends. Digital is so much easier for me now. Shoot>Download>Edit>Upload>Write post>Get great response from loads of people I have never met. I understand why some still prefer film, but for me this is so much better.
Smokey Bear
Cris and I used to joke about this. I have always argued that his real name was Smokey Bear, and she insisted that it was Smokey the Bear. I still think I am right, and this billboard could prove it. / It is very cool and windy today; much different than the wild weather of yesterday.
Chicken
My brother and I drove to South Carolina yesterday. It was a great drive and beautiful weather the whole time. / I knew we had crossed the IHOP/Waffle House line when I saw this sign in Virginia. Too bad it wasn’t Tuesday; I could have had an extra crispy gizzard for lunch.
Albanese Meats & Poultry
This block of Elizabeth Street runs just south of Houston, and I know it really well because my good friend Herman Boykin started living there in 1979. Before I moved to the City in 1986 and while I was living there I would spend a lot of time in the neighborhood. There were many more shops like Albanese’s back then, but the area is really different now.
Newsstand
The New York State Museum is looking at some older style newsstands that are slowly being replaced by a more modern version. I was in the city yesterday on a mad dash down Broadway starting at 178th Street and ending around Times Square. It was very windy, rainy, rushed and a total blast. We were helped out by Harley Spiller, who is THE expert on the stands and in particular the paperweights used to hold down the piles of papers. An amazing and very cool guy. This stand is on the corner of 46th and Broadway.
Presidential
I have always been interested in how large American companies market some of their crappiest products. GM was notorious for this. Here we see a fine example. I parked next to this Buick Park Avenue on Friday, and the Presidential Seal jumped right out at me. I am a bit baffled by the snaps on the metal trim underneath the seal. They look like something off a boat.
Lotto
I like looking into the windows of parked cars. You can see some pretty interesting sights. I was on my way into the Stop n Shop and noticed this guy’s affinity for the lottery. Serious business goin’ on here.
Bangladesh billboard
There is always something amazing to see when you travel. This just popped up on the horizon as we were heading up to the Indian border. It seemed odd, because touching someone’s head in most parts of Asia is usually not done.
Jon Crispin's Notebook 
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