If you have been near the corner of 45th and Chestnut recently, you may have noticed the large, blank, west-facing apartment building wall and thought something wasn’t quite right. That’s because the large mural of Paul Robeson, which greeted eastbound travelers on Chestnut, is gone.

But worry not; the famous actor and All-American athlete and son of a former slave who lived his later years in his sister’s row home at 4949 Walnut St. shall return. A new Robeson mural is being created as you read this.

The original mural, painted by Peter Pagast in 1999 and removed in February, is being replaced with one by Ernel Martinez, who painted the Malcolm X. mural at Ridge Avenue and W. Susquehanna Avenue.

Amy Johnston from the City’s Mural Arts Program said the mural will be back up some time next month.

“The mural is being repainted on parachute cloth in the artist’s studio,” she said.

The Robeson and Malcolm X murals are part of the African American Iconic Images collection, which also includes portraits of Jackie Robinson, Women of Jazz and Malcolm X, among others, and historical scenes of African American life and community.

Philadelphia photographer Joseph Minardi has a new book out on the architects and architecture of West Philly.

Historic Architecture in West Philadelphia, 1789-1930s includes more than 500 images of the buildings and houses we walk by every day. The book chronicles the transition of West Philadelphia from open farmland to the streetcar suburb. It also includes vignettes of the architects who helped shape the area, from Powelton Village to Cedar Park.

Minardi is the 2007 recipient of the Preservation Initiative Award from the University City Historical Society.

The 192-page book retails for $50 from the publisher here. It is also available at a significant discount at Amazon here.

If you pick it up, stop back and drop us a comment below with your impressions.