Inventing Times Square: Commerce and Culture at the Crossroads of the World

by William R. Taylor (Editor)

A unique volume, Inventing Times Square approaches the subject of twentieth-century American city culture through a multidimensional examination of one quintessential urban Times Square. Ranging in time from 1905, when the crossroad was given its present name, through to the current plans for redevelopment, the authors examine Times Square as economic hub, real estate bonanza, entertainment center, advertising medium, architectural experiment, and erotic netherworld. Though the volume centers on Times Square, the essays venture much further into urban history and American social history, revealing in the process how Times Square reflected―even epitomized―America as it became an urban consumer culture.

Genres: New York

496 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1991

Reviews

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contains a great deal of detail and exploration in the creation of Times Square.