Summer Fun for Everyone - Page 2

These ultramodern bowling palaces, with outlandish rooflines and spectacularly lit signs, called to bowlers everywhere to dine and dance at bowling center coffee shops and cocktail lounges that no one had ever seen before.

"Inside San Jose's Futurama Bowl, a fantastical Persian paradise awaited with its own Magic Carpet Room," the article points out, "a sumptuous cocktail lounge decorated with nearly 500,000 hanging beads."

Ultramodern architecture and interiors joined with state-of-the-art bowling technology and supervised playrooms that made bowling-nights-out a favorite destination of many a nuclear family.

It was also an era when television was new, and viewers were treated to celebrity bowling tournaments and shows.

"Everybody from Don Knotts to Fred Flintstone to Ralph Kramden were shown on the lanes—often in a very blue-collar way, often a comedic way," says architectural historian and author Chris Nichols, who is currently working on a book that does a deep-dive into the MCM bowling phenomenon.

Next up in the summer issue is our tale of 'Kitchen Liberation.' These days, with moms and dads both working from home, the idea of 'kitchen liberation' is a topic that could easily enter anyone's mind. Also penned by Weinstein, this feature asks the question: "Did the trendsetting open cook spaces and newfangled foods of the mid-century free women—or simply trap them?"

This story opens with a vintage photo by Eichler photographer Ernie Braun, "a picture that evokes the era," says Weinstein, "a grinning dad in suit and tie, heading for the atrium in his Eichler home, and after that for the world of white-collar work."

And though the open-plan kitchen of this scene is one of Joe Eichler's most popular contributions to mid-century home design, the article discusses how the concept dates back to modern architects of the 1920s. In fact, Frank Lloyd Wright even featured open kitchens in many of his Usonian houses.

"We did a great deal in the open plan when we took the hostess out of the kitchen and made her attractive as a hostess," Wright once wrote. "She was no longer a cook in the kitchen; we made her a feature of her establishment."

And speaking of kitchens, where there's food, there's sure to be an appealing 'tablescape.' In 'Tablecloth Treasures,' we present delightfully designed table coverings with an appealing array of cozy colors.

From the Russell Wright-inspired palette of the abstract 'Shennywell' to the Tinker Toy-shapes of 'Ballistic,' we're certain you'll spot one that will catch your fancy.

We hope that you enjoy the summer '23 issue, and that it goes a long way towards enhancing your summer entertainment. Look for us in your mailbox over the next week, or click here to view a flip-book version of the entire issue.