The Edison Hotel in Times Square is getting a history lesson through art. Three new murals painted by Bronx man show how the crossroads of the world have evolved over the years. Today’s Times Square is very different from what it looked like two-and-a-half decades ago. Mural artist Arnie Charnick captures this change in a series of murals at the Edison Hotel.
“I proceeded to do three full color big scale drawings of my concept of the history of Times Square in three time periods. The subject of Times Square when I started to look into it was excessive in data, images and history so I had to decide what to put in there. Some of them are iconic images that a lot of people recognize; some of them are personal, etc.”
The first murals were posted in sepia tones depict the early days of Broadway of Vaudeville. The second recreates he iconic and euphoric kiss when World War II ended. The third – which Charnick calls the seedy era – viewed through a cab window of X-rated movie houses and peep shows.
Charnick himself however, sees them as “one piece with three parts.” See for yourself at Shimmie Horn’s Edison Hotel in Times Square.