The Hollywood Sign - Fantasy and Reality of an American Icon

The first history of the Hollywood Sign -- ubiquitous symbol of American celebrity and ambition -- by a master interpreter of popular culture Hollywood's famous sign, constructed of massive white block letters set into a steep hillside, is an emblem of the movie capital it looms over and an international symbol of glamour and star power. To so many who see its image, the sign represents the earthly home of that otherwise ethereal world of fame, stardom, and celebrity--the goal of American and worldwide aspiration to be in the limelight, to be, like the Hollywood sign itself, instantly recognizable.