A History of Brooklyn In 20 Objects (“Objects” Being Very Loosely Defined)
8) Ken-Tile Floor Sign
A beloved part of the skyline for those of us who take the F as it rises for two stops above the Gowanus Canal, as if on the knobby spine of a brontosaurus, the Ken-Tile Floor sign is a reminder of both Brooklyn’s industrial past and of the economic ruin that those industries eventually dealt with. The Ken-TIle company once employed hundreds of people in Brooklyn, reaching the peak of its success in the 1960s. Unfortunately, its best-selling product was a floor tile made of asbestos. So—long story short—the company went bankrupt in the early 1990s. But we’ve still got the sign! So there’s that.