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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The Itinerant Adman


Several years ago, the residents of St. Petersburg, Florida started experiencing an interesting phenomenon. As they rushed around on errands, they'd come across an inspirational saying or a lovely poem, beautifully lettered in chalk on the sidewalk. Sometimes the chalk markings would be a poem of a dozen lines, and sometimes there would only be a heart shape.


These random markings were arresting to the eye, and welcomed alike by shopkeepers and pedestrians. Eventually the artist made a segue into advertising slogans — simple, always well lettered, and always in chalk. I've come to think of him as the "Itinerant Adman."











Eventually, like the classified section of an old newspaper, the ads fade and disappear. New ads appear, and occasionally a poem, a word of inspiration, or just a symbol that makes one smile.


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8 comments:

  1. I am so glad that you have recorded these for posterity. What a great pice of inspiration during the day to come across these!

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  2. Mark I think this is simply wonderful!! We all need daily doses of inspiration!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

    Last day to enter my exciting Giveaway from the Artisans at Novica! (David knows of the organization)

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  3. This is just such a wonderful thing. And let me tell you, chalk is not an easy medium to work in. Does anyone know who the artist is?

    Itinerant Adman. Love it.

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  4. Hello,
    What a great kind of inspiration to come across these! Thanks for all your comments on my blog, it's makes me happy :-)

    Greetings from Belgium
    Jérôme

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  5. Thanks to all my blogging friends for visiting! My understanding is that the artist now supplements his income doing this for shopkeepers.

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  6. Hello, Jerome - Greetings from St. Petersburg, Florida! I'm glad that we're now blogging neighbors.

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