Philippe The Original 

Dan Graziano's "Philippe The Original" captures a piece of Americana with its focus on a historical restaurant. Note how Graziano uses a commercial signage as the focal point. The sign, emblazoned with a distinct typeface, serves as a beacon of memory and cultural identity. This recalls ancient heraldry or trade guilds, where symbols and lettering acted as public declarations of identity and commerce. Think of the snake coiled around a staff representing doctors, a symbol derived from the Greek God Asclepius; now consider the lettering on the Philippe’s sign. It conveys a sense of tradition and authenticity, meant to evoke trust and familiarity. Signs like these function much like the "Mneme" - the Greek goddess of memory - triggering nostalgia and a sense of continuity with the past. Just as religious icons were once venerated, these signs become secular icons. They root us in a shared cultural narrative. They remind us that certain images possess the remarkable capacity to evoke emotions, bridging the gap between our conscious experiences and the subconscious realm.