Happy Retro Thanksgiving from us to you!

War Seemed More Relaxed in the 1950s

In today’s society, the mere mention of a bomb on a social networking hub could have the police knocking on your door. The term “terrorist threat” is held by loose standards as children and young adults could face jail time for inappropriate comments made to friends in jest. Would this kind of behavior been worthy of so much attention in the 1950s? When you look back at Cold War memorabilia, it seemed more like the

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 aspect of these houses of spirits can still be seen, but disrepair, changes in management, and retiring business owners are

Mid-Century Photo Friday: Maid service

Groovy little sign in a motel in New Mexico: What’s your photo Friday? Also, check out our Flickr Groups: Mid-century motels Mid-Century style – 1950’s Interior Design and Residential Architecture We’ll link to your photo – just add a comment below!

Lighting of the green at the Boots Motel!

We’ve been watching the restoration of the Boots Court Motel in Joplin, Missouri for years, from the “Save the Boots Motel campaign”, until they reopened in 2012 and we got to visit and check it out in June 2011. This latest, and possibly the last piece of the renovation not only highlights what a great job they’re doing for preservation of the motel, but for renovation all along Route 66! “Bringing back the neon” was