That's what I imagine anyway, only because in retirement, Johnnie's now doing the exact opposite -- salvaging and preserving a segment of Americana being ever more rapidly consigned to and consumed by the dustbin of history.
Four of the many, many preserved gas pump lights at the Classical Gas Museum, Embudo, NM
What follows is a short clip of Johnnie's latest project: restoring a prefab diner like so many that sprang up across the country 60 or 70 years ago. It's Meier's plan to have this beauty fully restored, operational, and open for business by the spring of 2011. But artifacts of Route 66 in need of salvation take heart, i.e., note Johnnie's business plan at the conclusion of this brief video!
Video by Dada
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Dada's Diner Notes: As Meier told us, the diner being restored in the video was made in the 1950s by the Valentine Diner Company of Wichita, KS. I grew up at a time when these little gems were far more plentiful.
All my life I mistakenly thought the word 'diner' applied to any little eatery smaller than a decent sized restaurant. But it was during my visit with Johnny Meier I learned the only true diners were those prefabbed elsewhere and shipped to their final destinations. The diner pictured below is an example of a Valentine Diner similar to what Johnnie's may look like by next spring when fully restored.
After World War II, diners were seen as "an attractive small business opportunity." As Answers.com tells us, "From the mid-Twentieth century onwards, they have been seen as quintessentially American, reflecting the perceived...egalitarian nature of the country at large."
McDonald's, Burger Kings, et. al., likely explain why so many little diners have vanished, along with our egalitarian delusions.
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5 comments:
May Mr Meier succeed beyond his wildest dreams! oh wait, considering his business plan ...
(hey isn't that little red diner near the end of your post the one in Winslow AZ?)
Deke: To those who didn't see it, the photo D.K. took of a diner in Winslow, AZ is indeed the picture I chose as example of a diner from an online search of such images -- the confusing "OPEN" - "CLOSED" window signs, adjoining rock wall confirm it.
Maybe my choice of that one image from all the others was a subliminal one, having seen your pic of same over three years ago?
Thanks for pointing that out!
As I recall the winslow diner is on the same block as a shop with a window rendering of the famous "girl, my lord, in a flatbed ford, slowing down to take a look at me"! As you drive by, it is reflecting through the windows at you, causing a double take at that stunning young blonde thing who has suddenly appeared alongside you. It would no doubt cause a few accidents if there were more traffic. But I-40 stole all that.
(not just the diner, but almost everything in winslow was closed the day we were there, the whole town seemed sadly dead ... still it was fun to see things like that vintage diner and other rte 66 memorabilia).
Long live the great american road trip and all the movies and one fine TV series Rte 66 spawned! Somewhere Geo Maharis and Martin Milner are still ghost-riding the roads in that Corvette, for sure.
Ah, Route 66, the TV program. Loved it. Watched it every week. So, ok, just finished reading up on Maharis and Milner. OMG! They're both still alive! I thought by now they'd both be older than bristle cone pines.
Appreciate your blog posst
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