Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Retro travel decal of the week:The New York State Thruway


I love old travel decals. This one is of particular interest because it's a tribute not to a great state or awe-inspiring attraction, but to something rather mundane: the New York State Thruway. There was a time when an interstate highway was something to marvel at, with big wide lanes whisking you away to the world of tomorrow in no time flat. Today, the interstate is a monotonous yet efficient stretch of pavement...it's what you take until some cooler bi-way comes along, or when you need to get all the way from western Colorado to eastern Missouri in one day. It was a simpler time when you could make your friends envious by showing off your decal of "Main Street of the Empire State 559 Miles Long."

3 comments:

Mod Betty / Retro Roadmap said...

I'm a fan of Vintage travel decals as well, Impko being my faves for a long time. Thanks for reminding me to get my collection of snowdomws, vintage postcards, stickers and pennants out of the dust and into RRHQ where they belong!

I should take a picture of the Illinois Thru-way napkin holder I have in the kitchen, I love it!

Gunnar and Sherry said...

Betty, You're giving me napkin holder envy! I worked with a guy who had a "I Heart the N.J. Turnpike" coffee mug that was pretty awesome, too. I've got a set of Baxter-Lane decals but I think Impko has the best old-timey designs.

Anonymous said...

I just wanted your readers to know that a very rare item will be coming to eBay on Tuesday, August 24th. I will be listing an original vintage spinning display rack for travel decals on eBay. I have been looking for comparables for the eight years that I have owned this rack and never found one! If you have a way to post a photo and would like one, email me at tom.shubert@ttu.edu. Thanks! Tom