Tillie is the nickname of two murals of a grinning figure that were painted on the side of the
Palace Amusements building in
Asbury Park
Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area.
As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 15,188 ,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Tillie is an amusement park "fun face", painted during the winter of 1955–1956. The name Tillie is likely a nod to
George C. Tilyou, owner of
Steeplechase Park
Steeplechase Park was a amusement park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. Steeplechase Park was created by entrepreneur George C. Tilyou in 1897 and operated until 1964. It was the first of the three large amusement parks built on Cone ...
in
Coney Island,
New York, which featured the
Steeplechase Face, similar grinning face signage.
In popular culture
Tillie has inspired various products, such as a soda brand. The mural has been featured in movies, ''
Weird NJ
''Weird NJ'' (sometimes abbreviated ''WNJ'') is a semi-annual magazine that chronicles local legends, purported hauntings, ghost stories, folklore, unusual places or events, and other peculiarities in New Jersey. The magazine originated in 1989 as ...
'' magazine, TV shows such as ''
The Sopranos
''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...
'', and a famous photo of
Bruce Springsteen and the
E Street Band
The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...
early in their career.
Saving of Tillie
Like many other
boardwalk
A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway built with wooden planks that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. They are also in effect a low type of brid ...
areas in the United States, such as
Coney Island,
New York, Asbury Park fell on hard times.
Palace Amusements, built in 1888, closed in 1988, and the historic building fell into disrepair. When the Palace site was targeted for demolition and redevelopment, Asbury Park residents, Tillie fans, and Springsteen fans formed a grassroots effort to save Tillie. The group lobbied the state to block the demolition or at least remove the mural beforehand. The effort was partially successful, as the left-side Tillie, as well as the "bumper girl" murals, were removed. The right-side Tillie was demolished. From June 8 to June 11, 2004, Save Tillie volunteers removed the mural from the Palace building. The building was demolished in July 2004.
Tillie and other murals from the Palace building were to be incorporated into a new building on the site. The two wall sections with the Tillie mural are currently stored in Asbury Park; the version on the Wonder Bar at Ocean Avenue is a replica.
Present-day history
After being saved from demolition, Tillie was put in a shed at the city’s wastewater treatment plant while it was decided what was to happen to the mural. It was left in the shed, which was battered by weather and became run-down, letting paint flake off the mural.
On September 28th, 2021, Tillie was brought out of storage for the first time in 17 years and sat outside
Paramount Theatre before being moved elsewhere.
See also
*
Asbury Park, New Jersey
*
Palace Amusements
*
Steeplechase Face
References
External links
Palace Amusements and other Abandoned Asbury Park Landmarks as Featured in Weird NJPhotos of Tillie's home- Palace Amusements- on the Springsteen news site ''Backstreets''
asburyboardwalk.com- The Asbury Park Boardwalk: Past and Present. A collection of stories, photos, postcards and advertisements of the Boardwalk and City of Asbury Park.
{{Coord, 40.217775, -74.00313, display=title
Asbury Park, New Jersey
Landmarks in New Jersey
Murals in New Jersey
Art in New Jersey
1955 paintings