Here's a decent, readable history of NYC graffiti from its (Philadelphia) origins in the 60s, thru the crack epidemic of the 80s. The back-and-forth escalations between taggers and the Metro Transit Authority, set against the backdrop of evolving styles and the hip-hop culture is interesting stuff.
Here's another, more basic primer that provides the etymology for the term 'tagging'. (Tuff Artists Group) It's provided by, of all things, the Graffiti Removal Program of Portland.
And there's also Art Crimes, the Web's longest running graffiti gallery. It's a shame that digital cameras weren't around for the 70s NYC heyday...
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