In the six years since Thomas Rinaldi started cataloging pre-1970s neon signs around New York City, more than 60 of the signs have disappeared—dismantled, destroyed or lost. Collectively, Rinaldi equates these signs' importance to the city's atmospherics with the Empire State Building. If neon is disappearing on the streets, it's certainly making a comeback in New York's popular imagination. Kirsten Hively successfully conducted a Kickstarter campaign last year to fund her Project Neon enterprise, including the development and release of an iPhone app. Rinaldi wrote a book featuring his work photographing neon signs scheduled for a September release, according to the Times.
· Capturing the Glow of Old New York [NYT]
· New York Neon [WWNorton]
· Project Neon [Tumblr]