Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive All Faculty Publications 2018-02-01 News in Lights: The imesT Square Zipper and Newspaper Signs in an Age of Technological Enthusiasm Dale L. Cressman PhD Brigham Young University - Provo,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub Part of the Journalism Studies Commons Original Publication Citation Dale L. Cressman, "News in Lights: The imeT s Square Zipper and Newspaper Signs in an Age of Technological Enthusiasm," Journalism History 43:4 (Winter 2018), 198-208 BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Cressman, Dale L. PhD, "News in Lights: The imeT s Square Zipper and Newspaper Signs in an Age of Technological Enthusiasm" (2018). All Faculty Publications. 2074. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/2074 This Peer-Reviewed Article is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact
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[email protected]. DALE L. CRESSMAN News in Lights The Times Square Zipper and Newspaper Signs in an Age of Technological Enthusiasm During the latter half of the nineteenth century, when the telegraph had produced an appetite for breaking news, New York City newspaper publishers used signs on their buildings to report headlines and promote their newspapers. Originally, chalkboards were used to post headlines. But, fierce competition led to the use of new technologies, such as magic lantern projections. These and, later, electrically lighted signs, would evoke amazement. In 1928, during an age of invention, the New York Times installed an electric “moving letter” sign on its building in Times Square.