Coronavirus Signs Say So Much

Henry Grabar writes about the signs filling the windows of shops and businesses in cities all over the country, "as if our protective masks stifled the ability to speak and left us to communicate only in writing." Some of these signs are funny and optimistic, while some can make the reader wince.

"The notes tell the story of the more than 10 million Americans who have lost their jobs in the last two weeks, as almost every state has shuttered nonessential businesses in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus."

From Chicago to Pittsburgh to South L.A., the article samples the signs of times, not just in store windows, but also on highways and written on sidewalks in chalk. The "signs of coronavirus" are everywhere, according to Grabar.  "With Americans isolated by distancing rules, signs lend each exchange the thrill and weight of performance."