Mother Road treasures of the Show-Me State
On one of the few buildings remaining in Spencer, Missouri, someone has begun to restore the long-abandoned shops by adding a brand-spanking new screen door—and a vintage Holsum Bread sign—to appeal to and charm Route 66 travellers. The unharmed new screen door is a bit of contrast to the rust-coloured and surely old slab rock making up the walls of the former supermarket—but overall, the effect of this photograph is one of warm charm and welcome.
This black and white photograph peeks into what could be the scene after a horrible attack, but it is really only the ravages of time that have left the famed John's Modern Cabins tourist court in such condition. One wall is ripped out; the 1930s or 40s plaster has fallen off most of the walls, revealing the log structure; the sofa's upholstery is shredded, torn, and moldy after years—decades— of exposure.
Just off Route 66 in Missouri, between Springfield and Carthage, is Red Oak II. The whimsical house in this photograph is fanciful indeed, with its weathered wooden shingle siding and the bright, almost TARDIS-blue trim and door. What you may not be able to see in the photo, though, is that this charming fairytale cottage is in the middle of a lake—reachable only by a drawbridge—one that is controlled from the mainland! Thus its name: The Mother-In-Law House. Make of it what you will. I only take the pictures!
Spencer, Missouri, is the home of yet another charming old-fashioned scene from Route 66 in this documentary photo. Sitting before a timeless slab-rock wall is a terrific-looking old Pepsi-Cola cooler, its blue and red paint just weathered and rusted enough to give it a real patina. You can hardly blame me for making it the focus of my photo! We're taking a gander at the vintage cooler by looking over the weatherworn wooden boards of an old bench, its white paint chipped off after years of sitting in the sun and rain. I don't even drink soda, but this is definitely an Americana photograph!
Rising over the dilapidated cabins it has watched over for decades, the old neon sign for John's Modern Cabins in this photograph remains in remarkably good shape considering it hasn't been maintained since the 1960s or, at best, the 1970s. Rusted and pitted with time though it may be, we can still discern the sign's Art Deco heritage; a few bits of neon tubing remain, and even a pair of old bulbs cling to the sign's weatherworn surface. Behind the sign, we can see the ghostly green canopy of trees, as if the very forest is trying to shelter and protect the decaying piece of American history beneath it. The trees shall surely lose their battle—but in the meantime, we have photographs to remind us of what was.
