A Visit To The Retro Roadmap Photo Archives – Photos from the American Roadside

One of my new years resolutions is to share more of my old photos with folks – so here’s the first assortment from my “Random Roadside” box of photos!

Here’s me in front of the Frazer Diner in the spring of 1999. As I mentioned on my writeup of the Frazer Diner I had no idea when I was posing for this photo that I’d end up living 15 minutes away from it, with a cute guitar player. I’m sure glad it worked out this way!

This is a photo of Fains Carpet Store in Providence RI taken some time between 1987-89. Roadwarrior Debra Jane Seltzer posted some photos of this striking storefront in her Roadside Architecture blog recently, and I knew I had a photo when it was still Fains. Love the Art Deco facade!

I’m pretty sure that this photo was taken on the same trip to Rhode Island as the Fains facade, not sure why I didn’t shoot the diner itself, but I think we got off at the wrong exit and were turning the car around.

In the small world vein I see that roadpal Gunnar shared some photos of the Meadowbrook Drive In Theatre in Middleboro MA on his blog Eccentric Roadside. The comments indicate the theatre closed in 1987 so I must’ve shot this shortly therafter.

I know there are small reproduction metal signs of this classic Good Home Cooking sign floating out there on the internets, but this photo is of the real deal, from The Galley Restaurant in West Springfield MA. Taken in 1995 by moi! Here’s a link to some of the history of the Galley’s sign if you’re interested.

This photo of the Route 66 Diner was taken in 1995 in Springfield MA as well. I remember eating here and the diner being clean as a whistle, and very affordable.

The Englewood diner used to sit behind the Capitol Market in Dorchester MA and I’d see it every day going to and from school. That whole shopping complex was very cool with a big neon sign for the market as well as the restaurant next to it, I think it had a Bradlees too. Not sure why I didn’t take more photos of the entire place, but if I beat myself up for all the photos I haven’t taken I’d be a black and blue pulp. So I DID take a photo of this classic diner, before it got moved.

That is just a drop in the bucket of the Retro Roadmap Photo Archives, dear readers. I’ll be sharing more of them as inspiration hits!