Tag Archives: art deco

The Automat

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Today it houses medical offices but this fabulous art deco building was once home to one of the country’s most popular automats.

What is an automat? I’m so glad you asked.

Basically it was a self-serve restaurant with a wall of food behind glass plated doors. You would insert your coin, turn a knob and remove the single serve plate or bowl of food. It was sort of like a giant vending machine only the food was fresh made and delicious dishes like mac and cheese, casseroles, soup, salisbury steak and mouthwatering desserts.

It combined the convenience of fast food with affordability and a pleasant atmosphere.

It is very possible you’ve seen automats in old movies and there’s a great scene in the show The Marvelous Mrs Maisel where the two main characters are eating together in a truly spectacular automat. I also recall Sylvester the cat visiting one once.

We were going to or fro on Philadelphia’s Chestnut Street when I spotted this place and snapped a quick photo.

This building was the home of the old Horn and Hardart Automat and was the first of its kind in this country beginning in 1902. These places were especially popular during the Depression when diners with just a little change in their pocket could get cheap, hearty food.

This concept didn’t survive for even a full century as our last automat closed in New York on April 9, 1991.

Personally, I would like to see these places make a come back. It seems like there’s room for them in our dining landscape and the idea is just fun.

This public domain photo of a Horn and Hardart Automat illustrates the concept.

Want to know more? This CBS News story tells the story really well and includes some great imagery.

20th Century Theater

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When the Twentieth Century Theater opened in 1941, art deco was on the decline. Yet that’s the design style that was used for this Cincinnati movie palace. Today it’s a mixed use facility where you might catch a live stage show or even attend a wedding or corporate event.

Located in the city’s Oakley neighborhood, it fell out of use in the early eighties and suffered decline before its rescue from ruin. The lobby is gorgeous and features a sweeping staircase to the balcony as well as a nice bar. The sidewalk facing ticket booth is still there but not in use.

They did a nice job of transforming the theater into a versatile space where comfortable theater seats can be easily removed to make way for table seating, The stage isn’t huge but it was a great size for the Sean of the South show I saw earlier this month.

But the true marvel of this theater is its exterior appearance. It is a landmark like none other with its awe inspiring marquee and gorgeous larger than life mural paintings of old time cinema greats.

There’s a nice green space across the street and the theater is clearly well loved. My only complaint is that the parking lot is minuscule and there is no parking garage in the neighborhood. There is street parking and it’s a safe neighborhood for walking or you could make it even easier and Uber there.

We are probably lucky that the 20th Century Theater has lived to see the 21st century. Seeing a show here felt like a great gift and I couldn’t help but think about what these walls would say if they could talk.

They have done a great job of marrying the old and new and celebrating the building’s character while making it relevant for a new century.

Go see a show there if you can! You can learn more at their website. Incidentally, this was Cincinnati’s first air conditioned movie theater. I recently told you about the first air conditioned building in Wyoming. Read that story here.

Cody Theatre

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Theatre nerds and art deco lovers will be glad to know that there’s a fabulous old art deco theatre still in use in Cody, Wyoming.

Opened in 1937, the Cody Theatre was notable for a few reasons. Not only was it the city’s main source of entertainment back then, it is the first building in Wyoming to be air conditioned.

As of 2024, that same air conditioning unit was still in use.

The theatre is still in use too. They show movies and have live performances as well. It’s still very much a center for the community and I was delighted to see how nice it looks on the outside.

The theatre was built for a reported $50,000 which would be well over a million in 2025 money. The art deco design is subtle on the outside and those details continue on the inside as well, according to their website.

The best part of all is the marquee which has gotten some TLC this year. I found a story about efforts to save the marquee that you might want to check out here.

It would be easy to replace the aging AC unit or that fabulous old marquee. It would be easy to gut this theater and turn it into a restaurant or something random. I’m so happy and impressed that people have maintained and protected this place and its assets for all these years.

This theatre is a lovely asset for downtown Cody and a piece of Wyoming history. You know how I feel about these things.

Check out the Cody Theatre website to see what they have upcoming on the stage.

Details

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Union Terminal in Cincinnati was designed with an attention to detail that simply isn’t found much in modern architecture.

There’s a lot to unpack in the above picture- the lights, the jaw dropping mosaic tile artwork, the ceiling, the marble and the font on the directional sign “to trains” are all worthy of our study.

The space is both grandiose and simplistic. Ornate and streamlined. That’s the thing about art deco style – they keep the lines clean but make a big statement!

It’s a showstopper, isn’t it? Come back tomorrow. We will visit one of the museums that lives in this building!

Rookwood Ice Cream Parlor

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Tucked in the corner of the Cincinnati Union Terminal Museum Center is a nondescript door that leads into something unexpectedly special.

Rookwood Ice Cream Parlor feels like an art deco time capsule. That’s because it’s decorated with Rookwood Pottery tile. This iconic handmade tile comes from the Cincinnati based pottery that was founded in 1880. It’s world renowned pottery that can often be found in fine public buildings, in many historic homes, and even the New York City Subway.

This space was originally a tea room and later a home for the USO when World War II troop trains rolled through the city. Now they serve ice cream treats to museum goers and Amtrak travelers.

My only regret is that we didn’t stay and order some ice cream. Another day.

Here’s a closer look at the tile.

Isn’t it fantastic?

Cincinnati Union Terminal

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It’s an art deco masterpiece. It’s a center for museums and enlightenment. It’s an amazing place to pass a day.

It’s Cincinnati Union Terminal and home to the Cincinnati Museum Center. This building houses museums dedicated to natural history, Cincinnati history, the Holocaust and even a children’s museum. Honestly though, my favorite thing to do here is to just walk around and look at the building.

Construction was completed in 1933 and there are some incredible art deco touches like this ceiling.

The font!

And murals. Holy Batman and Robin! Look at this incredible artwork!

Isn’t it amazing? Tomorrow I’ll tell you about the ice cream parlor we nearly missed.

It’s an incredible building and it’s still home to an Amtrak station but this gorgeous place has been through a lot over the decades. Train services were suspended in 1972, it was a shopping mall for a while and a portion of the building was demolished.

I feel fortunate that we have this amazing place to visit and enjoy. Perhaps someday I’ll buy a train ticket and catch an Amtrak to adventure!