Well, yes, Miami Beach is famous for its Art Deco and Streamline Moderne hotels. But there are just as many mid-century modern hotels and other buildings. I’ve got all the photos up at my website from this day’s shooting, so have a look if you like at Miami Beach Art Deco Hotels:
https://www.roadarch.com/deco/hotels.html

And/or mid-century Florida buildings:
https://www.roadarch.com/modarch/flmotel.html

Here are just a couple of photos. I’ve selected these two because I love their projecting windows. The Penguin Hotel:

and the San Juan Hotel:

These mosaics in Miami Beach were created by Enzo Gallo in 1971. The bank is now a Wells Fargo but I think it was original a First National Bank. The building is going to be demolished but supposedly the mosaics will be saved. Here is just a sampling of them. The moon landing and Iwo Jima:

Abe Lincoln & Betsy Ross:

Here is some modern neon on the side of the the Alvin’s Island souvenir shop in Miami Beach:

A former McCrory’s terrazzo apron in Miami Beach — more McCrory’s buildings at my website here:
https://www.roadarch.com/dept/other2.html

Moving on to Hollywood, FL. The Thunderbird Tepee was built in 1951 as a souvenir stand. By the late 1960s, it had become Tepee Western Wear:

The building is still there, kind of. Now walled up and housing Seminole Media Productions. If you like teepee-shaped buildings, I’ve got tons here from all over the country:
https://www.roadarch.com/wigwams/main.html

I won’t go into the history of Hollywood Bread, which was advertised as a diet bread (but wasn’t). This website has great stuff about the woman that founded the company, her lifestyle, and what became of the company:
https://www.abandonedfl.com/hollywood-bread-building/

But let’s talk about the sign. Just weeks after I took this photo in June, the sign was removed and the building was demolished. The sign is promised to be installed on top of the gargantuan condo tower that will be built on the former site. There are actually two signs — one was on the south, the other on the north side of the building. It’s not clear if both sets of letters were saved/will be displayed:

The Beach and Town Motel in Hollywood evidently had just a simple pole sign originally (sorry the only vintage postcard that I could find is tiny and blurry) and the letters on the right side of the tower:

Then, by 1953, a far cooler sign replaced that rectangular one and letters were installed on the front of the tower facing the main drag (S. Federal Hwy). Too blurry to tell, but those letters on the tower might have had neon:

At some point, the tower lost its brickwork and the pole sign was removed. But the tower’s letters are still there (minus the word “POOL”):

One last photo for this post: the Churro Magico in Hialeah, FL. I love this painted gate with all the info and the smiling churro with the magic wand:

Back to Photoshopping the next batch. We still have six more days of Florida to go. Then, we move on to nine days of Georgia, and then some things from Tennessee, Oklahoma, etc. on the way home.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

The Seven Seas Motel on Biscayne Blvd. in Miami has not been snatched up and restored/redeveloped yet but I suspect it will be soon. The midcentury modern motel itself has “good bones”:

The Ball & Chain signs in Miami are probably vintage. The letters on the facade might be original and the projecting sign might have been retexted over the years. This undated photo from the bar’s website is probably from at least the 1950s. Modern paint on the side of the projecting sign’s can reads “Fuller Sign Co. 1935”:

The La Carreta Cuban restaurant in Miami opened in 1976 and this sign is probably from then:

Carreta translates as “oxcart”. There’s an even bigger bulb-studded wheel in the parking lot.

This business in Miami opened in 1950 and I’m betting that this skeleton sign in the window is from then:

This sign is in Miami Beach. The apartments were built in 1951 and this sign is probably from then:

This giant cigar is located on “Calle Ocho” (SW 8th St. in the Little Havana neighborhood) in Miami:

This terrazzo apron (entrance tile floor) is located at what is now a thrift store in Miami:

This Gold Dust Motel sign in Miami was built this year as a recreation of the original sign. Either that, or the owner was able to stir up the missing sign which was missing for many year but possibly stashed somewhere. The motel was built in 1957 and got a complete rehab. Here’s a vintage postcard of the place:

The neon lettering on the sign of the mini tower is gone now. The pool and porte cochere are still there.

This bit on another postcard show what the sign looked like at night. I’m guessing it was not animated:

By the 1970s, a rooftop neon sign and a new neon pole sign were added. Slabby rocks were added to the tower:

Matthew Bamberg’s Retro Sign Blog shows what the sign looked like on the tower at that time — painted blue and the word “MOTEL” moved up for some strange reason:

And here’s what the sign looks like now:

I shot a LOT of midcentury/Art Deco apartments and motels in the Miami area. Here are just a couple. The Shore Apartments from 1948 in Miami Beach:

And the King Cole Apartments in Miami Beach from 1962:

The canopy sign at the Casablanca Hotel in Miami Beach:

This Dairy Queen in Miramar was built in 1956:

And, lastly for this post, the repurposed Firestone building and sign in Miami. The building and sign were constructed in 1929. They were nearly demolished in the early 2000s when Walgreens bought the property but, fortunately, preservationists stepped in. Here’s what the building and sign looked like originally — note it was touted as having the “world’s largest and most modern, one-stop service station”. I wish I could read the neon letters at the bottom of the sign:

Supposedly, five of the original Firestone letters were incorporated into the new sign. However, I don’t think that happened. And if they were, they are gone now:

This post got held up a bit since I was busy watching the Neon Speaks online presentations. If you missed it, you can still catch ALL four days’ worth of recorded videos online by purchasing a “passport” here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neon-speaks-2021-all-event-passport-to-recordings-registration-157148345933

At that link, click on “View Details”:

And here’s the full schedule for what you might have missed:
https://neonspeaks.org/schedule-2021/


That’s it for now. I’ll be back next weekend with more.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

Another couple of days shooting in the grey. I think I get a sunny break for a few days after this — just in time for Miami and Miami Beach. Not many signs during these two days but I’ve got some diverse topics.

If you like ship-shaped buildings, I’ve got a bunch of Noah’s Arks at this page:
https://www.roadarch.com/mim/shipsnoah.html

This little cutie is installed next to the Ark Animal Hospital & Clinic in Venice, FL:

Bob’s Train in Sarasota, FL is a restaurant housed in four train cars:

The knight statue on the right in Punta Gorda, FL was here for many years. In 2016, he was joined by the two smaller knights:

The Park Motel in Homestead, FL sure ain’t what it used to be. That pole sign on the left is long gone. The office still has the porte cochere but it’s pretty shabby looking now:

The rooftop, scaffold sign still had its neon until around last year but, surely, it hadn’t been lit in decades. Recently the neon in the channel letters was replaced with crazy, DIY LED rope. But, hey, that’s redeemable if this place ever takes a turn for the better:

I’m a sucker for mid-century modern round buildings — banks, schools, restaurants, you name it. I’d drive two hours out of my way, without hesitation, to see/shoot one. This is the former Pick Music Library, now the Music Administration Center at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL:

Ah, the things you can do with concrete! This is the former Grace Church of Kendall, now Metro Life Church in Kendall, FL:

Farm Stores are a real Florida “thing.” I’m crazy about their gullwing roofs which protect the double drive-thru, stay-in-yer-car entrances from the heat and rain. The one below is in Miami. I’ve shot dozens of them for my website here:
https://www.roadarch.com/modarch/flroof.html

So many statues to shoot and reshoot in Florida. I have been educated on the differences between marlins, sailfishes, and swordfishes. The swordfish and shark below are at Bud n’ Mary’s Marina in Islamorada, FL:

Slim pickins for signs and the grey skies don’t do them justice but here are a few. This sign is at Mora’s Liquor Store in Miami, FL:. A very odd-shaped arrow and the channel looks modern (or at least freshly painted). Maybe different letters on the scaffolding originally:

The Bird Bowl in Miami opened in 1956 and this was what the original sign looked like – from this website:
https://www.bowlingheritage.com/item/the-long-awaited-bird-bowl/

Yes, I wish it was still there! And those little square windows and stonework, too. Alas, just a cement wall now.

But the probably-1960s, big replacement sign is still better than a box:

And, lastly, here’s a nice Rexall sign from Homestead, FL. For Rexall signs from all over the country, I’ve got five pages at my website for them:
https://www.roadarch.com/signs/rex.html

I’ll be back this weekend with another post from Florida.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

I wanted to make sure you knew about these two events coming up this week if you haven’t seen them promoted on social media yet. Both of them are free but donations are welcome.

The California Preservation Foundation is hosting a webinar on Thursday, Sept. 9 from noon-1pm PST. The five speakers (I’m honored to be one of them) will cover much more than California stuff. And there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions.

Click on Part 2 at the link below for more info about the program and speakers:

https://californiapreservation.org/events/plane-train-auto/

The Neon Speaks Symposium is a MUST for anyone that is interested in signs. This is the fourth year, online again due to COVID. Four full days of great speakers and fascinating presentations on Sept 11-12 and 18-19. I’ll be doing a brief presentation on closing night.

To register and see the full schedule, here’s the link:

https://neonspeaks.org/schedule-2021/

I hope you can make one or both of these events!

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

These two days were kinda crappy weather-wise. Hardly any sun. So, prepare for some gray photos. Let’s continue with Northwest Florida stuff, starting with this motel in Minneola, FL. The giant orange in front

This vintage postcard shows that the orange had a light on top originally and a little pool below:

This Giant Tooth mailbox is installed in front of the Belleview Dental Center in Belleview, FL:

The Krispy Kreme in Gainesville, FL still has a vintage crown rooftop sign. The oval panels would have revolved originally:

The Lorito’s sign in Ocala, FL has been through a lot. Here’s a photo that I took in 2009 just before it was knocked over by a drunk driver:

The owners had the sign “restored” with vinyl decals. It was not a good look and then they faded. Around 2017, the vinyl decals were painted over. I’m still not a fan of the serif font but… yes, way better than a plastic box:

The Marion Theatre in Ocala, FL:

The Howard Johnson’s in Ocala , FL was built as an Econolodge. HoJo’s moved in in the late 1990s. This weathervane steeple was built in 2016 during renovations. It simulates the original rooftop detail with the Simple Simon & Pieman logo:

Two of these ginormous signs were built in Tampa, FL: one for Britton Plaza and the other for Northgate Plaza:

This former Firestone in Clearwater, FL has been a Tires Plus for many years:

This former Kress department store is in Lakeland, FL:

This Moderne Masonic Temple in St. Petersburg, FL won’t be around much longer. Plans to demolish it and build a high-rise have been approved. The sign will supposedly be donated to a Masonic Lodge:

This pirate sign welcomes you to Treasure Island, FL as you drive across the bridge:

I’m always relieved to see this big guy at this self-serve car wash in Lakeland, FL:

Let’s close this post with the World Liquors sign in St. Petersburg, FL. The sign was supposedly built in 1961. Here’s a photo that I took in 2009:

Although according to many articles, the globe supposedly came from a 1950s World Furniture store. I found nothing about that store in St. Petersburg or Tampa at newspapers.com or anywhere else. This Food World sign in Tampa sure looks like a match to me! However, that chain wasn’t established until 1971 so… the true history still remains a mystery.

In 2018, the liquor store property was sold and the sign was either sold or donated to Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill. They kept the globe and created new sign panels and the sputnik on top.

The old panels are displayed at Zazoo’d, a home furnishings store in St. Petersburg. The store wasn’t open when I was there but I managed to get this shot through the window:

That’s a wrap for now. I expect to have more for you soon since I’m hunkered down for this four-day weekend, Photoshop-ing and adding hundreds of photos to my website.

If you can make it, I’ll be one of the speakers for a little hour-long virtual event that the California Preservation Foundation is putting on Thurs, Sept 9 at noon PST. It’s free and some very interesting folks will be talking. For my eight minutes, I’ll be screensharing with some tips and tricks for navigating my ridiculously huge website and getting the most out of it for your enjoyment and trip-planning. More about the program here:

https://californiapreservation.org/events/plane-train-auto/

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs