The Faneuil Branch of the Boston Public Library hosted in mid-August 2019 a presentation called
New England Neon. The speaker was Susan Mara Bregman, a local community activist and photographer whose book was recently published under the same name. Arcadia publisher stated, "The golden age of neon signs in New England lasted more than 30 years, from the dark days of the Great Depression through the go-go years of the 1960s, but its spectacular legacy remains -- if you know where to look!"
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| Faneuil Librarian Amy Manson introducing Susan |
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| Susan with her book |
Susan took the audience through the heritage of neon accompanied by a powerpoint presentation of her photographs of iconic neon signs throughout New England over the decades. In her talk she put an accent on cultural preservation, and commercial and artistic history over the years. For Susan, neon signs have "personality" and "evoke memories," reminding her of special times.
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| Susan with the neon Circle Cinema sign, Cleveland Circle, Brighton |
Charlie Vasiliades, Vice President of the Friends of Faneuil and of the Brighton-Allston Historical Society that earlier hosted Susan for a talk, remarks, "Susan Bregman, a long-time Oak Square resident, was involved in the past in a number of community related causes. One of her unique interests in past years has been in chronicling and advocating for the preservation of New England's old neon advertising signs, including the successful effort to preserve the Cleveland Circle Cinema sign."
Several illustrations from Susan's book:
Above, a short history of the neon sign prepared by Ronni Komarow, Faneuil Library Gallery Coordinator and Secretary of the Friends of the Faneuil Branch, the latest Affiliate of our UNESCO/UNITWIN Network on Gender, Culture, and People-Centered Development.
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| L to R: Amy Manson, Ronni Komarow, Former President of FOFL Shelley Bialka, Susan Bregman, and FOFL Board Member Eric West |
