Capitol Skyline Hotel, Washington DC

The Capitol Skyline Hotel is a hotel located near the United States Capitol in Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. Designed by Morris Lapidus, the hotel opened in November 1962 as the Skyline Inn. Morris Lapidus, an architect, primarily known for his Neo-baroque “Miami Modern” hotels constructed in the 1950s and 60s. A Russian immigrant, living in […]

Catch the sites on Route 66 – Pops, Arcadia OK

We love driving Route 66 and each time we find new sites and fun finds and our favorite on the last trip was Pops in Arcadia Oklahoma. Not only is it a fabulous piece of retro architecture, it’s also a really really fun place to visit! We went at night: A video posted by Mid-century […]

The influence of the Atom Bomb on 1950’s America

In surfing around the web, we find some folks who have done a fantastic job of capturing important parts of Mid-Century life. One of our favorites is Uncle Jack’s veryvintagevegas.com and in surfing his site we came across this fantastic online master’s thesis from Monique Gaudin on the topic of the Atomic bomb’s influence on […]

Ohio House Motel Chicago – a survivor

Distinguished by its fabulous diamond shaped exterior, the Ohio House is a fabulous example of mid-century architecture right in the middle of downtown Chicago. Other architectural points of interest include the matching suspended sign, held up by a geometric metal grid which is itself reflected in the pattern block fence that runs along Ohio Street. […]

Googie and neon sign preservation and museums

One of our favorite mid-century things are Googie signs. There are plenty of photos out there, but one thing is certain and it’s that they’re a dying breed and ripe for preservation efforts. In case you’re not familiar with the term, “Googie” architecture, approximately from 1950-1970, is a futuristic or ultramodern derivative of art moderne […]

Newton Iowa, a midcentury historic downtown

The Newton Downtown Historic District has been entered in to the National Register of Historic Places, effective September 22, 2014. In 2009, the Newton Historic preservation committee looked within the proposed district of 87 properties. Fred Chabot, chairman of the historic preservation committee, said they began by researching the history of those buildings for the required […]

The fabulous retro resorts of Wildwood New Jersey!

Our summer trip began with a place so fun and unique that my 12 year old son now counts it as his favorite place ever. Beaches, amusement parks, restaurants, activities and some of the most fantastic Mid-Century Resort Architecture and Googie signs anywhere! Where do you find all of this? New Jersey! The Wildwoods began […]

Houses of Spirits

A sampling of Los Angeles midcentury, atomic, and retro liquor stores by new contributor Diane Vallere. Read more about her here. You don’t have to wait until the cocktail hour to appreciate the influence that midcentury modern style had on liquor stores all over the country, but you may want to act quick. The atomic […]

Retro Roadtrip: The Blue Swallow, Tucumcari, NM

We have had the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, NM in our Motel Directory for a long time.It’s as much of an icon along Route 66 as the WigWam Motels. Owner Lillian Redman, a legend along Route 66 ran the motel from 1958 to 1997.  By a stroke of luck, owners over the years after […]

Long Lost John Lautner Home

With this post, we welcome Marni Epstein, who’s going to be a fabulous addition to our team. Check out her biography and website! Editor Modern Architect John Lautner, who studied under the tutelage of Frank Lloyd Wright, is primarily known for his residential design. As a mid-century architect, his homes had a distinctly warmer quality […]