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From Flame to Flicker: Inside a Working Neon Shop

You walk into a neon shop expecting nostalgia. You leave thinking about chemistry, electricity, municipal zoning codes, and 1940s craftsmanship. That’s what happened when I toured Morry’s Neon, a family business opened in 1985 by Morry and his son Glen, a business built on a neon legacy that began in 1946 when Morry first started bending glass. Established the same year America decided diners, drive-ins, and optimism were perfectly reasonable things to mass-produce, Morry’s has

Route 66 at 100: Why the Centennial Is Igniting a New Era of Retro Road Trips

As the Route 66 Centennial approaches, something interesting is happening. This isn’t just an anniversary tour or a nostalgia lap. It’s a full-scale reawakening of interest in the American road trip—one rooted in history, preservation, and the lived experience of the road itself. The centennial is acting like a spotlight, illuminating not just the highway, but the stories, architecture, roadside culture, and communities that grew up along it. And people are paying attention. Travelers want

Los Angeles Potteries: A Whimsical Walk Through Mid-Century Ceramic Dreams

From our retro coffee table to yours comes a great book – an awesome gift or something to pour over in our own home! Suppose you’ve ever spotted a cookie jar shaped like a hamburger or a canister set with tropical fruit motifs and thought, “I remember that design!” or “I have to have that design!”. In that case, you’ll want to get your hands on Los Angeles Potteries: A Collector’s Journey through Artistry, Craft,

El Cortez Hotel: Where Vintage Vegas Still Lives

Opened in 1941, the El Cortez Hotel & Casino is one of Las Vegas’s oldest operating casinos — and one of its most authentic. In a city obsessed with reinvention, the El Cortez is a rare survivor, maintaining its vintage spirit while still feeling alive and relevant. Preservation That Matters In 2013, the El Cortez earned its place on the National Register of Historic Places, and it’s easy to see why. The building’s Spanish Colonial

Cool products and artisans from our Facebook page

We love our Facebook page followers and some of the neatest things we see are art pieces and products that are post their great creations and products on the page. These often get overlooked over in the sidebar, but we see them! Here are a couple of our favorites (we found so many, we might have to do multiple posts!) Higgins Glass: The Higgins Studio, home of “modern miracles with everyday glass” was founded in

Lighting

Most of us love Mid-Century Lamps – Mid-Century had some great styles, but it was practical too! Taken from the “Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book” Copyright 1956, we thought we’d turn Mid-Century Photo Friday into a learning experience. As usual you can leave a link to your Mid-Century Photo Friday in the comments.

Indiana Landmarks to recognize MCM

Baz over at Atomic Indy, has all the info necessary to become one of the first time ever Mods to be awarded in these two awards categories. The Indiana Modern “Stewardship Award” (for preserving an MCM) The Indiana Modern “Rescue Award” (for restoring/saving an MCM) Visit his post to check out all the information and to get info on how to enter Entries are due on April 29th, 2011. Winners will be chosen and announced

Fabulous 50's Motel preservation opportunity

A couple of months ago, my husband and I took our kids (and my in-laws) to New Mexico. In travelling we realized how many awesome 50’s motels are out there that are dated, but with a little love (and a website to get travellers there) would be great stops for many money-saving families out there! So, last week we just took a trip and went out of our way to stay at 50’s motels. The