A Collage of North End Restaurant Signage, Old and New

Newton resident and retired lawyer Ed Sokoloff has spent more than a decade photographing restaurants and other food establishments around Massachusetts and grouping them into collages. This fall, he has completed five: the North End (a portion of which is shown above), Greater Boston, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and ice cream and yogurt around Massachusetts. "We believe that our montages are a new form of contemporary art, which will historically preserve restaurants in a manner not previously done," Sokoloff told Eater, "and we are proud to introduce them in Boston."

Sokoloff has been printing his collages on canvas and, in some cases, donating them to hospitals. "The hope is that memories of the places shown and happy times there not only add to the healing process of the patients and residents, but also brighten each day when viewed by visitors and staff," he told Boston Magazine.

This weekend, Sokoloff gifted the first copy of his North End collage to the North End Historical Society. The 30"x45" piece of art contains photos of more than 170 places; at least 25 of those places are now closed, including Joe Tecce's, Jasper's, and the original Polcari's. A portion of sales of future copies will benefit non-profit organizations in the North End (unless a charity is specified by the buyer), and Sokoloff invites "North End chefs, restaurant owners and other leaders to join a committee which will select the charitable recipients."
· A Taste of Massachusetts [BM]