Tourist Home Sign, 1930

Description:

Before motels were common, homeowners earned extra income by renting rooms by the night to motorists who were passing through town. Tourist homes offered a more comfortable alternative to autocamps and roadside cabins. They had a homelike atmosphere and domestic comforts that equaled travelers’ home furnishings. Some even served meals. In the evening, hosts and guests often engaged in conversation in the living room. The most successful tourist homes grew into roadside inns, but most stopped serving travelers when chain motels spread across the United States. This hand-painted wooden sign welcomed motorists at a tourist home in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, a rural community 25 miles from New York City.

Location: Currently not on view

See more items in: Work and Industry: Transportation, Road, Transportation, Road Transportation

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Credit Line: House of Stuart

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 1984.0936.01Accession Number: 1984.0936Catalog Number: 1984.0936.0184.0936.01

Object Name: signOther Terms: sign; Road

Measurements: overall: 29 in x 26 1/2 in x 1 1/2 in; 73.66 cm x 67.31 cm x 3.81 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a6-8e41-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_844525

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