Thursday, October 04, 2007

space is the place


Kem Cleaners 420
Originally uploaded by Mike Z.
Googie. A visual architectural style that is "somewhere between Hindu Temples and launching pads."

Professor Dave Hickey of the University of Nevada, commenting on the Googie-style of architecture -- characterized by "upswept winglike roofs, domes, satellite shapes and starbursts that became the dominant visual language of motels, diners and gasoline stations" -- which the New York Times this week cited as one more domino in the crazy cultural cascade that Sputnik (in part) tipped off when the Russians launched her into space 50 years ago today.

Flickr's got Googie going on (of course) -- two different groups:
Googie, anyone?, and
Googie: The ORIGINAL and BEST Googie Group (just in case you thought otherwise)

Special bonus content since I like you so much: Click here to hear Sputnik (.WAV)

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2 comments:

Lolabola* said...

ooh! It's like the Jetson's. I love signs like that.

I first read it as google though and then again, and finally saw the i the third time.

I, Rodius said...

I love little things like that, the small, unexpected ways that one event affects something seemingly unrelated. When I was a kid, I loved Connections on PBS. The Cold War and the space race affected diner signage. Huh.

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