In the 1930s (and before and after) men who repaired the mammoth illuminated signs, known as spectaculars, that towered over places like Times Square were called “sign monkeys.” A term of endearment then, it is out of fashion now. Yet it does not diminish the dangerous work that these urban mountaineers (including window washers, bridge maintainers and other such laborers) must endure. Here is a film produced by Chevrolet that pays tribute to them. It is one thing to design something that humungous, another to make it work.
