When Mural Arts Philadelphia announced it would retire “Sounds of Philadelphia”, its crumbling homage to South Philadelphia’s mid-century music legends at 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue, the opposition was….well, spirited.
The painted clock is running down for Peter Pagast’s beloved 2005 mural honoring Fabian Forte, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker, Jerry Blavat, Al Martino and Eddie Fisher.
The building behind it had deteriorated, and developers planned a four-story structure in front of it.
The cost of re-creating it elsewhere was prohibitive, and there were hundreds of other mural projects already in line.
“Uhm, Dave, do you have the comics?”
“Besides, I am so over this green and tan color scheme….”
Heaven bless those Mexcon guys, who spent endless days in the 90-degree heat sanding and repairing our vintage bay windows
Art Tavani shakes hands with local photographer Carl Verna. Mildred Trombetta was the editor and publisher of the South Philadelphia American newspaper, for which Art was a columnist. Louis Esposito (right) still reigns as a second-generation owner of Esposito’s Meats in the Italian Market.
(Linda Ferrino Hoffman and Bobby Rydell in 2014)
(Atlantic City’s Steel Pier flaunts its star power on an undated postcard. That’s Mr. Peanut tipping his hat at the far left.)
(Art Tavani’s magical photo album. 
(Singer Bobby Rydell with Art Tavani, left, and Philadelphia-based TV host Mike Douglas, center, around 1964.)
(Karen photographed “Head Case” at the Chelsea Antiques Garage in New York City. And, yes, there’s a lot going on in that box…)
(And, yes, if you guessed that Isaiah and Julia have a few mosaic walls in their home then, well, you guessed right….)
(Windows decorated for Valentine’s Day 2016, top and bottom left, and an “everyday” sale window from fall, 2015.)
Unexpected Philadelphia 