Sixteen signs in Times Square were turned out by one small switch operated by the sign designer Douglas Leigh, March 1, 1942. The city had enacted a nightly dimout that was meant to protect New York from both air and naval attacks by disguising the recognizable skyline. There were no lights above street level, outdoor baseball games were banned, and Times Square was a “gloomy cavern.”
Photo: Tom Fitzsimmons for the Associated Press










