Friday, October 4, 2024

Architectural Memories

 

I stopped at a shop that sells all kinds of gift items and decorator pieces and I saw these framed prints.  They commemorate unique places in Arizona most of which no longer exist.  The first two on the left, Cine Capri & Trader Vic's are long gone.  Cine Capri is where I saw the very first Star Wars movie and Trader Vic's was a tropical-themed night spot in Scottsdale.

In the middle row we have Camelview 5, the movie theatre that closed in 2015.  I featured photos from Camelview before it was demolished.  The Safari Hotel in Scottsdale closed and was demolished in 1998.

On the far right, is the Tropics Motor Hotel in Phoenix which happened to be an Al Beadle building.  It is also long gone.  The one below is the Starlight Motel in Mesa and it is still standing.  It's undergone numerous renovations but the one thing that remains the same is that wonderful "diving lady" neon sign.


I found this photo of the sign on line so you could see this wonderful piece of neon art.  Back in October of 2010, there was a really bad storm that took the sign down.  The city helped to raise the money to have it restored and as far as I know, that lady still takes that big dive every evening after dark.  


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11 comments:

  1. TravelOctober 4, 2024 at 4:34 AM

    A neat collection.

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  2. RedPatOctober 4, 2024 at 6:26 AM

    I love the prints and that motel sign too, Sharon.

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  3. DiadayOctober 4, 2024 at 6:46 AM

    I love the bright, bold colors in all those prints.

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  4. CloudiaOctober 4, 2024 at 9:29 AM

    Very pleasant walking through your memories. Stirs my own. Aloha friend

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  5. CloudiaOctober 4, 2024 at 9:29 AM

    Very pleasant walking through your memories. Stirs my own. Aloha friend

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  6. BillOctober 4, 2024 at 9:44 AM

    The prints are outstanding. Would love to see the neon sign all lit up, it must be amazing to see.

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  7. AmyOctober 4, 2024 at 11:10 AM

    I really like the old retro sign, it's a gliimpse into life back then.

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  8. MELODY JACOBOctober 4, 2024 at 11:17 AM

    What a wonderful tribute to Arizona’s unique history! It’s always bittersweet to see these iconic places disappear, but how great that some, like the Starlight Motel’s diving lady, live on in restored glory.

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  9. Spare Parts and PicsOctober 4, 2024 at 12:09 PM

    If I'm not mistaken, we have a Starlight Motel on Beach Blvd. with a cool 50's neon sign, but no diving ladies that I recall.

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  10. Steve ReedOctober 5, 2024 at 8:15 AM

    That's a fabulous sign. And I love those prints! The awnings on the old Camelview were really great. I'm sure whatever replaced it wasn't nearly as distinctive.

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  11. William KendallOctober 10, 2024 at 2:46 PM

    Quite a collection.

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