Tag: Googie

Not too long ago, I decided to take my love of art, power tools, roadside travel and midcentury signage, and combine them into what I hoped could be a new, artistic aspect of my career.

Well, the day has come, and I've just posted the first in a series of handcrafted, Googie-style pieces to eBay. It's simple in appearance, but complex in character, bringing to mind aging diners, motels and bowling alleys.

The big, red arrow's thirty-one bulbs flash in sequence — adjustable in both speed and brightness — and its surface is weathered with a light patina that suggests years of roadside pointing.

I'm already working on future pieces, but this is number "001," so head on over and have a look before it's gone.

Oh, and I've created a short video showing the arrow in action (below). ... Continued

Links:

Googie Arrow on eBay

I've stayed in a lot of motels. Some good, some ... not so good. For the most part, they all look the same. Same bedspread, same remote control, same individually wrapped plastic cups.

Of course, that's what you get when you stay almost exclusively at chain names. Problem is, when you don't, you really take your chances. I love a good independent motel, but too often the accommodations are less than agreeable.

I've often longed for the days that preceded me, when lodges with names like the Hiway Host and the Come On Inn could be counted on to provide a clean shower and a pleasant night's rest without the peeling ceilings and questionable sounds coming from the room next door.

Well, someone's finally turning back the clock. Smalltown America Inns, Lodges and Motels has launched an effort to buy up classic roadside motor courts and restore them to their former glory, with a few modern amenities thrown in. ... Continued

Links:

Smalltown America Inns, Lodges and Motels

Anyone who knows me knows my unhealthy fascination with Googie signage. You know the stuff — midcentury "futuristic" designs advertising motels and bowling alleys.

Well, it's just come to my attention that someone's got a somewhat Googie-style sign up on Ebay that's set to go by Tuesday. It's reminiscent of the 1964-65 New York World's Fair Unisphere (which still stands in Queens) and appears to be 20-25 feet tall, not including the spire. The current bid? One dollar!

From the lettering that bands its equator, which appears to read "Wings of Healing," it's presumably from a defunct church of some kind. Of course, you can always repaint it once it's in your living room.

I actually stuck with my new rule this weekend and checked off one of my long-procrastinated locations. The old Twin Drive-In Theater in Fort Worth has been glaring at me for years now, and considering the likelihood that one more good spring storm could carry it off like the sides of the Bank One Tower 6 years ago, I figured this was a good place to start.

Of course, I got a little distracted on the way. But who among us can ignore the bright-yellow swoop of an abandoned Googie sign? Who, I ask!

This one marked the former location of the Boardwalk, an establishment apparently specializing in the "cocktail," though I doubt either of those syllables were ever used in this neighborhood to refer to alcohol. And yet, although the only thing left of this bar is its foundation, that hasn't stopped anyone from drinking on this corner.

I suppose that's why I've avoided shooting the Twin for so long — the condition of the neighborhood. I mean, it didn't take 3 minutes of standing on the roadside before my assistant was propositioned by a man in a windowless minivan. Really, whose pimp carries a 20D? And what sort of girl hooks next to a Corolla? ... Continued

When will I learn my lesson? As soon as I discover a subject to photograph, I should go straight out and shoot it.

A few months ago, while getting myself lost trying to find who knows what, I drove right by the old Circle Inn in Dallas. I guess I had just never driven that particular block before, because it was the first time I had ever seen the old motel.

It was one of the most magnificent Googie signs I had ever come across — big, colorful, with a profusion of neon circles and a swooping, yellow arrow. I have a thing for old motel signs and this particular find was a real jewel. The place was obviously abandoned, so I took note of its location and recorded a reminder in my phone to return soon.

Thinking I might finally get around to shooting it tomorrow, I looked up the Circle Inn in the online newspaper archives for a bit of history. Turns out the whole thing was demolished at the beginning of January!

I couldn't believe it. I didn't even realize it had been that long since I first drove by the place. Was that really before Christmas?! ... Continued

Tag: Googie

Googie Arrow Up for Bid

Get Your Z's on Route 66

I'd Buy That for a Dollar

They Call It the Twin 'Cause There's Two of 'Em

The Circle Inn Is Out