Motel Monday: Going Back To Miami Beach

This part two of the Motel Monday series featuring the motels of Miami Beach. See the second dozen of these colorful motels after the jump.

Chez Paree Resort Motel

Chuck's Round-Up - Wildwood, New Jersey

Chuck's Round-Up was located at 245 E. Cedar Ave. in Wildwood, New Jersey. It was located in the heart of the Doo-Wop Motels in Wildwood. This postcard appears to be from the 1950s. I don't know when the restaurant opened but it appears to have been open for a couple of decades.

I can't find out too much information as what happened to Chuck's Round-Up (and the amazing carpet). I did find a couple of more postcards from Chuck's here. Google Maps does not have a street view of Cedar Ave. There is a motel on the current site called The Beach Terrace Motor Inn.

Let's Be Good Citizens at School (1953)

This educational film will help you learn how to be a good citizen.

Wish You Were Hear: $12.00 For This!

Towne Center Motel - Mountain Home, Idaho

The card was mailed from Mountain Home, Idaho to M.M. McPherson of Spokane, Washington on September 6, 1972:

Hello!
Got here at 5:30. Road const. from this side of Pendleton. Mostly freeway but working on it & a lot of 40 mi. per hr. We went to Hermiston & by-passed Pendleton. All new & good. Warm in car but nice. Be awfully good road when done. $12.00 for this! Good, Love, R & T.

Storyland, 1957 - Pompano Beach, Florida

Storyland, Florida - 1957, originally uploaded by ElectroSpark.

Pompano Beach, FL. Who can think of another theme park you enter through a castle? Destroyed by Hurricane Cleo in 1964.

Rockin' and Rollin' at Monkey Jungle - Miami, Florida

There's really no good (or bad) reason for me to post this. It just makes me laugh.

Cindy Goes a Party

The description from Youtube:

After a conversation with her friend Dennis, Cindy is rather perplexed that she did not receive an invitation to Mary's party. In the tradition of Dream Vision folklore, Cindy has a dream wherein her Fairy Godmother teaches her and Dennis how to have a fun time at a party.

The Art of Rollerskating #11: Pheasantland Park - Boyertown, Pennsylvania

This is a pretty simple roller label from the Pheasantland Park Roller Rink in Boyertown, Pennsylvania. The label features a drawing of skater in blue with a ribbon advertising the rink name across the bottom center. There's not much to it but it stands out in its simplicity.

1977 Denny's To Go Menu - Largo, Florida

This is a Denny's To Go Menu from 1977. This particular menu was taken from Denny's #1033 at 940 Missouri in Largo, Florida. That Denny's is still there!

Wish You Were Hear: Eden Roc Double

These two Wish You Were Hear postcards keep up with the Florida theme this week. These aren't particularly interesting messages (with the exception of the wish you were hear part of the green backed card) but they are messages from the same place both sent to Pennsylvania oddly enough, one year apart and the backs of the cards have such a great design.

Eden Roc - Miami Beach, Florida

Mailed from Miami Beach, Florida to Miss Ann Beaton of Bristol, Pennsylvania on March 6, 1957:

Dear Ann,

We are having a wonderful vacation. Wish you were here.

Love Alice & Fred

This is the second card. It features a day view of the Eden Roc with the Ocean and pool in the photo.

Eden Roc - Miami Beach, Florida

Mailed from Miami Beach, Florida to Rev. Maric Dittami at St. Leo Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 21, 1958:

Dear Father -

We are sure living it up - Having a wonderful time, wish you were hear - I think you need a vac. as Bad as me - Russ

The Careless Navigator Restaurant Menu - Treasure Island, Florida

Samia Gamal, 1950

Samia Gamal (Arabic: سامية جمال‎), born as Zaynab Ibrahim Mahfuz), (1924 - December 1, 1994) was an Egyptian belly dancer and film actress. In 1949, Egypt's King Farouk proclaimed Samia Gamal "The National Dancer of Egypt", which brought US attention to the dancer.

In 1950, Samia came to the US and was photographed by Gjon Mili and theses are the pictures from that shoot.

See many more photos and a few videos of Samia Gamal after the jump.

Motel Monday: Miami Beach

Today's Motel Monday theme is the motels of Miami Beach, Florida. These numerous and sometimes sprawling resort motels lined both sides of the streets and beaches of Miami Beach. A lot of these motels were even on the same street, Collins Avenue, which is known as Motel Row. I have so many of these postcards that this will be part one of the Miami Beach motels series. Next week will feature another dozen motels. See the first dozen after the jump.

The Castaways

1977 Red Lobster Miniature Souvenir Menu

Silver Springs - Ocala, Florida

South Pole - 1957, originally uploaded by ElectroSpark.

South Pole - 1957

Coon Chicken Inn - Portland, Oregon

Today I am starting a new segment (or whatever you want to call it) featuring restaurants of the past. I will be trying to find any history I can on them, seeing if they are still there and posting what the current location looks like.
The first restaurant on the docket is quite possibly one of the most infamous restaurants in the United States. The Coon Chicken Inn had 3 locations; Salt Lake City, Utah, Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon. I am going to be focusing on the Portland location.

The first Coon Chicken was opened in Salt Lake City by Maxon Lester Graham in 1925. The Seattle location open in 1929. The Portland restaurant was the third and final location and it opened in 1931.

Here's a little history from the Coon Chicken Inn website:

All three sites were booming and a cabaret and orchestra were added in Seattle and Salt Lake with a larger dining room and the addition of delivery trucks for outside catering.
Maxon decided that if a gimmick were added for the children, it would help bring in the parents. He added the famous head logo to the entrances of the Inns it was a huge winking, grinning face of a black man wearing a porters cap. The words "Coon Chicken Inn" were spelled out on teeth framed by monstrous red lips. The doorway was through the middle of the mouth. At the time it proved quite popular. The logo of the Inn was on every dish, silverware item, menu and paper product. 

There was a variety of food served but the specialty of the house was, of course, fried chicken. (See below for what was on in the menu in 1948).

In the late 1950's the Grahams got out of the restaurant business, keeping the properties and leasing them out to other restaurant operators. The Portland site has become the Prime Rib. You can see the basic layout is the same but it has changed quite a bit in 50+ years.

How To Speak Italian In Two Easy Lessons by Neiman-Marcus

This is a two-part series of ads that ran in New Yorker magazine in 1959 (I think it's 1959 I scanned these ages ago and am mad at myself for not writing the year down) for Neiman-Marcus department stores. See all 16 wonderful pages after the jump.

The Art of Rollerskating #10: Cold Spring Roller Rink - Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

This is a much more individualized roller rink label probably from the 1940s (due to the patriotic theme) featuring members of the Roller Club. The Cold Spring Roller Rink is gone.

Wish You Were Hear: California Plant Regulations

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum - Los Angeles, California

Mailed from Reseda, California to Mrs. Jack Lambert of Marysville, Tennessee on June 13, 1963:

Dear Friend,
Due to Calif. Plant regulations they will not permit plants to go thru so there is no no need for me to send them. I am sorry but its the law.
Ruth Wooten
8417 Shirley - Northridge, Cal

Wish You Were Hear: You Don't Need To Be Afraid

First Church of Christ Scientist - South Bend, Indiana

Mailed from Mishawaka, Indiana to Mrs. Lena Sickafoose of South Whidbey, Indiana on September 14, 1908:

Why didn't you answer, you don't need to be afraid - Elvira (?)

Motel Monday: You're Movin' In With Your Auntie and Uncle in Bel Air

This week's Motel Monday theme has nothing to do with Will Smith and everything to do with Bel Air. Here, we have a dozen postcard that use varying versions of the Bel Air name to add an air of upscale sophistication to their motel. See if they succeeded after the jump.

Bel Air Motel - Redding, California

Wish You Were Hear: Money About Gone

Mailed from Niagara Falls, Ontario to Mrs. E. Piper & Garfield Perry Starry Club Hotel Manager in Cleveland, Ohio on August 29, 1955.

Money about gone. Guess we'll come home. - Lou Brown

JFK Tour of KSC

Collection: NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Title: JFK Tour of KSC

Full Description: A briefing is given by Major Rocco Petrone to President John F. Kennedy during a tour of Blockhouse 34 at the Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex.

Date: 9/11/1962

Image #: 62C-1443
Original url: grin.hq.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/GPN-2000-000605.html
UID: SPD-GRIN-GPN-2000-00 0605
Center: KSC
Center Number: 62C-1443
GRIN DataBase Number: GPN-2000-000605

SOURCE: nasaimages.org/luna/servlet/detail/nasaNAS~5~5~19975~125194

Visit www.nasaimages.org for the most comprehensive compilation of NASA stills, film and video, created in partnership with Internet Archive.

The Art of Rollerskating #9: Dimond Roller Rink - Oakland, California

This label is beautiful in it simplicity. With the obvious diamond for the Dimond Roller rink and winged roller skate wheel underneath it gets across what the place is called and what it is all about with 3 small items.

The Art of Rollerskating #8 - Riverside Stadium - Washington, D.C.

This is a more unique roller label from sometime around World War II. You don't often see labels of someone in roller skates not actually skating. The rather patriotically dressed girl appears to be enjoying a coke and a good book.

I love the overall design and the red, white and blue motif.

Riverside Stadium is no longer around. There is some great information here and here's a wonderful picture of Riverside Stadium in its heyday.

Pancake Hub of The Universe - Liberal, Kansas

Two attractive housewives of Liberal, Kansas, "Pancake Hub of the Universe" prepare to run the 415 yard course which starts at the well and ends at a church which is the similar course run by the women of Olney, England. Each year on Shrove Tuesday, the women of these two cities race, via stopwatch, in an International contest.

Marina International Hotel & Villas - Marina del Rey, California

4200 Admirality Way
Marina del Ray, CA 90291
(213) 822-1010

2001, a two-level space station hotel room from the 21st century, has a "star system" on the wall behind the bed, metallic drapes, sitting area and stereo music. 2001 is one of 25 unique villas at the Marina International Hotel.

Wish You Were Hear

Wildwood City, New Jersey

The card was mailed from Wildwood, New Jersey to Brian Morlen of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 23, 1969:

Hi Brian

I am having fun wish you were hear. Will see eyou soon

your friend

CARMEN

The back of the card