Another book in our Icons of America series has just been published: The Hollywood Sign: Fantasy and Reality of an American Icon, by Leo Braudy. Braudy, University Professor and Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature at the University of Southern California, has written the first comprehensive history of the Hollywood Sign, which was erected in 1923 as a temporary real estate advertisement only to become a permanent part of our cultural heritage.

Last week, Braudy interviewed with CBS/KCAL 9 in Los Angeles to talk about the book and the evolution of the sign from its “Hollywoodland” days to its present landmark status, and the many LA visitors who come every year to snap a photo. Check out the video here, and read more on the sign’s history with a slideshow at Slate.