It was the sign - The majestic age of American Motels

I am in love with fifties Americana (well, also Machine Age & Art Deco but let's leave that for another post). Traveling through the States I constantly try to capture that most prominent landmark of the famed googie era - his Majesty the All-American Motel.

"Most of these motels hail from the Middle Era of Motorized Mobility, the 50s and 60s. There were motels in the 20s and 30s, but they were likely to be a collection of shanties and cabins with a humble sign out front. In the 50s and 60s the sign took on great prominence; it was a way of establishing identity and rank even when no other feature of the motel was unique. The sign didn’t just sell the place; it was the place."

This passage (C) by James Lileks
(Be sure to visit his great page here)