Two white-gloved women wearing matching hemlines and sensible shoes strike a proud pose in front of a two-toned 1956 Ford Country Sedan Station Wagon at their new MODERN STRIP MALL, BUFFALO NEW YORK, 1957.

The standout accessorizes her camel coat with a leopard purse and red hat shaped like the Ford taillights. Her co-poser wears basic thick black wool. She carries a matching leather bag and tucks in her silk scarf that matches the car and those toothpick beams holding up the building behind them. Colorful hand-painted signs advertise in plate glass windows. SUPER DUPER is spelled out in red highlighted with glowing neon tubes. It sits on the edge on top of the spot lit, awning covered strip mall walkway.

Suburban strip malls that looked just like this were duplicated in cities all over in the 50s and 60s. They were a logical modern upgrade from the old fashioned Main Streets across the USA.

We all have memories of the strip malls that we grew up with. Mine is the ONTARIO PLAZA, in the Pomona Valley of Southern California. It was built in 1960. My family shopped for just about everything there. We always left the place with bags of merchandise. Several childhood experiences there really made an impression on me. Promotional events were always good. Klieg lights always provided great ambient lighting at the Friday night “Moonlight Sales.”

The grand re-opening of our supermarket, Market Basket, after it was remodeled when I was in third grade, was quite impressive. They gave away SO many free samples. Then the time my dad pointed out two kinda-creepy spinster sisters that he’d seen around town before. They were side-by-side pushing a baby carriage with a doll in it. Then several times we saw a short, stout, balding man wearing full ladies make-up – lipstick, rouge, lashes and all. He wore men’s clothes, but ladies make-up. My mother would say “There’s that ‘funny’ man again.” We couldn’t stop staring.

Here’s to all of our modern suburban strip mall memories,

MOVIELAND WAX MUSEUM CLOSING!

Pale wax movie stars embrace at MOVIELAND WAX MUSEUM, BUENA PARK, 1965. If they had a wick you could burn them. They are practically candles.

I’ll never forget the day in third grade when my friend Kevin Moore turned to me and said “I have so much wax in my ear I could make a candle!” Wax is one of the weirdest things on earth. We burn it, we shine our cars with it, color books with it and for a fee licensed professionals use it to painfully remove unwanted body hair. Wax comes from a wide variety of sources. Honey bees make it and so we- in our ears. And there are those among us who model the substance into life-size figurines that resemble famous people and display them in so-called museums.

MOVIELAND WAX MUSEUM is closing its doors for good after 43 years on October 31, 2005. Silent film star Mary Pickford dedicated the original 300 wax figures at the grand opening in 1962. According to the legend she arrived for the ceremony in the gold Rolls Royce that was parked out front for years.

I haven’t been to the MOVIELAND WAX MUSEUM since 1969. I was six. We took relatives there who were visiting from Oklahoma. They were SO impressed and I was SO proud. But frankly, I don’t remember much about the place except for the nude statues that totally embarrassed me and that oh-so elegant facade.

There is no way this place is gonna close without me seeing all those wax wonders for the last time. I wanna see how they’ve all aged! SO, I’LL BE THERE LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON HOPING TO RUN INTO YOU!

Movieland Wax Museum is located at 7711 Beach Blvd., in Buena Park, CA, Just one block north from Knott’s Berry Farm, movielandwaxmuseum.com

Here’s to MOVIELAND WAX MUSEUM and YOU

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

This man is doing the hood ornament pose. Is he feeling cool ocean breezes in places where we don’t ordinarily feel cool ocean breezes?!

Southern California’s obsession with fitness began in the 1930s on Santa Monica’s sunny seashore. According to the legend, out of work actors began gathering there to lift weights while sun tanning and hoping to be discovered by a Hollywood talent scout.

This slide, and many more just like it, was taken by Mr. Sheffield, the drama teacher at San Pedro High School. While showing a slide of him during a slide show he was recognized. A woman screamed out of the audience and said “That’s the drama teacher at San Pedro high School, and I’m the drama teacher there now!” It was a magic moment. So I said “What can you tell us about Mr. Sheffield?” She hesitated for a moment and said “Well, he lived at home with his mother and he never married!”

Here’s to the man feeling cool ocean breezes, Mr. Sheffield and you!

TWO MEN, FOUR LADIES, THREE LITTLE BOYS AND A BABY.

Aqua cinderblock walls with peeling paint and matching rumpled plush carpet provide a perfect monotone backdrop for this week’s slide: FAMILY PORTRAIT, SOMEWHERE, USA, 1955.

A blonde homemade speaker, missing its gold flecked cloth and vintage furniture complete the unpretentious decor. Faceless dads wear pleated britches held in place with thin belts. One smokes a cigarette. The other holds a baby whose shoes are destined to be bronzed. The ladies have perms – one reveals her bare toes wearing her ankle in a cast.

Center stage, a redhead plays with his lipstick red plastic car carrier and sports a western shirt with contrast yoke and cuff.

Continuing in the western theme, little Daniel Boone with his pseudo suede fringed shirt and pant sticks his tongue out at the young man in the middle of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. An open toed black pump points to his dirty pants and high top sneakers.

In the world of other people’s old slides it’s very rare to find a shot with so many odd details like this. I LOVE IT!

Here’s to you and YOUR NEXT FAMILY PORTRAIT with odd details!

Listen in as Larry Mantle interviews Charles Phoenix on Pasadena’s KPCC as they discuss slide collecting, Charles "Southern Californialand", and take a few listener calls in a lively discussion.

KPCC, the area’s premiere NPR outlet, offered Charles’ book as a "incentive" during their Spring subscription drive. They quickly depleted thier supply and listening to these enthusiastic callers it’s easy to see why.

Listen Now (Total Running Time: 21 min)

(Requires RealPlayer (FREE) to listen… download from RealNetworks)

HELLO FROM FLORIDA!

After spending just two days running around Miami Beach and Ft. Lauderdale there is NO question in my mind that Florida is the ultimate destination for modernism! Woo-wee its EVERYWHERE you look. Miami Beach is STAGGERING! far more than I ever dreamed it would be. It’s truly a miracle that SO MANY 1930 and 50s hotel resorts were left intact over the decades and are now restored to reflect their former glamorous glory. I enjoyed lunch seaside at the famous EDEN ROC hotel designed in 1955 by legendary modernist (and kitsch master) Morris Lapidus, whose motto was “too much is never enough.”

I’m here doing a SPACE AGE TIKI SLIDE SHOW for a special event called the HUKIALU, which is a big giant weekend tiki party. Speaking of excess, Polynesian style excess that is, last night me and several other tiki devotees swigged down several tropical drinks at the world’s ULIMATE Polynesian restaurant, the MAI KAI www.maikai.com. which has been serving up mai tais and puu puu platters in Ft. Lauderdale in GRAND STYLE since 1956. Inside and out the place is unfathomable -like a dream – and my head is still spinning. THIS IS A MUST SEE DESTINATION LOCATION!

Then as fate would have it as I was driving to the DAIRY BELLE for one of their famous steamed hot dogs and SOFT SERVE CONES, I stumbled upon an enormous Florida souvenir shop called Alex’s Flamingo Groves, www.alexsflamingogroves.com. Alex has been pushing and peddling seashells, sea monkeys, blowfish, pink flamingos and just about everything else you can possibly imagine since 1957. And that brings us to this weeks slide: BEAUTIFUL TV LAMPS, FLORIDA, 1957.

Here’s to you and FLORIDA’S CLASSIC AND KITSCH!

Southern Californians are very lucky because the LOS ANGELES COUNTY FAIR is the BIGGEST and most WONDERFUL county fair in the world. Every year I recommend the gigantic kitsch fest to even my most jaded and snooty friends – and they love it too!!! And if you think the fair is beneath your station in life- think again – really! I’m here to tell you it is Southern California’s BEST KEPT SECRET

The grand scale pop-culture gadget, garden and barnyard showcase is set in a treasure trove of vintage architecture, public art, neon signs, landscaping and unique permanent attractions from the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. While Disneyland celebrates its 50th year the Los Angeles County Fair continues in Pomona where it began 83 years ago in 1922. Pomona, by the way, is the city named for the Roman Goddess of Fruit – how perfect is that!

Among the endless wonderland of mesmerizing things to see there is this week’s slide of the Sunset Drive-in Movie Theater in THE MINIATURE GARDEN RAILROAD, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FAIR, POMONA, 1952. The Sunset Drive-in is Southern California’s oldest and most charming outdoor movie theater. The screen is a television, the cars are promotional models. The show still starts at dawn every year during the fair.

Make sure to get there early and plan to stay late so you can see it all. PLEASE don’t forget to bring your camera – it’s a photographer’s paradise, your wallet – it’s a shopper’s paradise and your appetite for all things fatty-salty-sweet.

Your imagination will be inspired and your spirit will soar!

Here’s to you and THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY FAIR,

Bonjour!!!! Parlez vous francais??? I love these American tourists in a French Museum – especially the oh-so snooty one in the middle.

I’m an American in Paris this week and so I thought it would be appropriate to have a little Paris-i-ana instead of Americana – French fries, French doors, French bread, French poodles, and of course French kissing. My hosts here are charming. They don’t even mind my butchering the French language. The foooooooood – is delicious. I had a chicken gizzard salad, – don’t you just love the word GIZZARD? -and Yes, I’ve had snails – fifteen to be exact – I counted. I saw a Barbie fashion show where all the top French designers designed something tres chic for Barbie to wear. She looks great in everything.

There have been a couple of embarrassing moments too. Like when trying to recall all of the French words I know, I told my hosts that when I was a kid my mother got her hair done at a place called Bon Marche. I proudly asked for the translation. They said "Very cheap!" When I told them about my favorite French restaurant in Los Angeles they asked the name, I said "La Poubelle, what does that mean?" the reply was "the trash can." And they weren’t kidding

Here’s to Paris-i-ana and vous!!

Last Saturday I had the distinguished and royal honor of meeting the King and Queen of all Tupperware collectors, Bob and Marilyn Wilson at the Cooper Museum in Upland, California where their enormous collection is now on display. There are also many pieces for sale! That is what inspired this week’s SLIDE OF THE WEEK: TUPPERWARE FACTORY, MEXICO, 1967. (I’m still waiting to find a vintage slide of a Tupperware Party!) Anyway, I stumbled drunk with pleasure through the historic Tupperware display as the compulsive obsessive collectors gave me a gleeful piece-by-piece guided tour. I had no idea that in the 50s they made Tupperware cigarette cases and poker chips. Of course my spirit soared. There were so many pieces that I recognized from my childhood.

Is there an American life that Tupperware hasn’t touched? Is there a Tupperware-less kitchen anywhere in this country? The name alone has such a GREAT ring to it. Say it out loud – TUPPERWARE -. It just flows off the tongue. And it goes so well with the word party

Earl Tupper was born in New Hampshire in 1907. He came up with the idea for air tight plastic food storage containers while working at Dupont. In 1938 he founded the Tupperware Plastics Company in Orlando, Florida and in 1946 introduced his line of Tupper Plastics at hardware and department stores. Sales were dismal at best. He struggled along until 1951 when a take-charge woman named Brownie Wise came along, saved his plastic products from extinction and built him an empire. She came up with the brilliant idea to eliminate the retailers and sell direct to the housewives in living rooms while having a party. Yes, the Tupperware Party is an Americana cultural event of the highest order. There is no question about that!

In 1958, Mr. Tupper sold his company for sixteen million dollars and retired for life

He died in 1987 but Tupperware will live forever.

Here’s to Tupperware and You

OKLAHOMA IS A MECCA OF MID-CENTURY MODERN!

Who knew? Well I certainly didn’t until I visited there last week. It’s the Tomorrowland of the mid-west – shocking but true.

In both Oklahoma City and Tulsa there is a truly spectacular array of deco, modern, roadside and vintage neon. They should change the name of the state to Okla-RAMA! One of many standouts is this week’s slide, STATE CAPITOL BANK, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, 1969. After we drove back and forth by it a few times, we saw an ultramodern 1958 church shaped like a giant breast. And I’m not talking chicken! A breathtaking 1956 gold anodized Buckminster Fuller dome, a former bank building, and its companion ultra, ultra, ultra modern gold skyscraper recently saved by the wrecking ball. Together they are pure sci-fi style and still look futuristic nearly half a century later. http://www.theclassen.com

From there it was time for smart cocktails in the creaky revolving lounge high atop a 1963 circular high-rise office building that I lovingly nicknamed the skyscraper cupcake. Dinner was downstairs on the ground floor in the untouched pristine 1963 Cafeteria called the Queen Anne. It is wonderful! I feasted on delicious deep fried chicken livers smothered beyond recognition in country gravy, okra -yes it was fried too, yellow watermelon and spinach salad drowning in what must be the sweetest dressing ever! And for dessert a big fat slice of chocolate pie. YUUUUUUM!!

It was now dark outside and time for the vintage neon tour. The 1958 Charcoal Broiler, a hamburger drive-thru, has a sign with a twenty foot neon chef that sent me to the moon. There were so many others but I’d have to say the animated neon gun-slinging cowboy on the marquee of the Winchester Drive-in Theater really took the cake

In Tulsa we toured neighborhoods where picture perfect mid-century modern tract homes sell for less than $100,000.00. Then it was off to the very ’60s Oral Roberts University campus. It’s heavenly! When I asked who the architect was, the answer I got was GOD! Then we found the plaque on the county courthouse lawn marking the time capsule that was buried there in 1957. Among the contents is a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere. When it’s unearthed in 2007 the car will be awarded to the person, or heir of the person, who guessed what the population of Tulsa would be in 2007. The bigger question is what condition the car will be in after being buried in a cement box and covered in some miracle wrap for half a century. We’ll just have to wait and see. I’ll see you in Tulsa at the excavation ceremony in 2007

Here’s to the mid-century modern in OKLARAMA and YOU