Chinese Deco

A nice blend this week of an Art Deco interior, serving Chinese food in Chicago.  Hoe Sai Gai means "Prosperity," and this place certainly looks opulent.

Dogs and Bees at Church

These postcards are the later versions of what were called "Rally Cards," which were sent out to religious school children to goad them into attending Sunday school.  I have lots of them going all the way back to the early 1900's, but these more recent ones, probably from the 1960's, are good examples of the chrome variety.  If the dogs and the bees are attending Sunday School, can't you at least show up too?

Fick's Drive Motel and Drive In

Love this old linen postcard from Brownsville, PA.  The Drive In Theater came first, then a restaurant, then the Fick's Motel, built by Isadore Ficks in 1953.  The ‘L'-shaped structure was constructed of concrete block and contained twelve units, each with a large window, an excellent view and beautiful ceramic tile baths. The motel included a ‘Honeymoon Suite.' There was also a businessman's unit which contains both desk and typewriter.  Speaker lines from the drive-in across Route 40 were connected to the motel, so the guests could also enjoy a movie by sitting outside in front of their room. They could see the screen and listen to the movie. What a nice image for a warm summer night!  In any event, thank goodness this motel existed before spray paint and graffiti, if you know what I mean!



Source: http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~glenntunneycolumn/column87.htm

Don't Throw Stones

The Glass House Restaurant in South Hill, Virginia was unique, being built almost entirely of glass brick.  According to the website of the newer, Glass House Grill nearby, the original opened in 1937 and stood for decades in the center of South Hill, Virginia on Highway #1, the main north/south artery along the East Coast. It served as the town's bus terminal and was the center of activity for the area. The building of the I-85 Interchange in the mid-1960's changed the traffic patterns and the Glass House Restaurant eventually closed. The building was purchased and renovated in 1974 by long-time South Hill resident, R.T. Arnold, to serve as the town's new library. The original structure was razed in 1999 to make way for the construction of the current library facilities. Another amazing building of the streamline era gone.