By JULIE ROBINSON ROBARDS, Collection Reflections
In 1952, Dinah Shore enthusiastically crooned, "See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet — America's asking you to call. Drive your Chevrolet through the U.S.A. — America's the greatest land of all."
It was more than just a snappy song — the 40,000 mile inter-regional highway system had just been completed. At no time before had long-distance travel ever been so easy or affordable.
In response, Americans took to the highways in their big, beautiful automobiles and zoomed off in search of excitement and adventure. Roadside attractions and theme parks cropped up across the nation and enticed tourists off the beaten path. Historical sights, national monuments, state parks and natural wonders became vacation destinations.
It was the heyday of automobile travel, and souvenirs were mighty big business. From small towns to bustling cities, nearly every rest stop, diner, motel and gas station peddled knickknacks and do-dads. In exchange for a little money, tourists were offered a tangible reminder of their happy traveling memories.
Felt souvenir pennants were especially popular with motorists because they were a vibrant slice of Americana that proudly announced, in bold letters and colorful vignettes, where they were from. Furthermore, pennants cost only a few cents and could be displayed from an automobile antenna.
HOT SOUVENIRS
According to Moses "Red" Lafountain of Paradox Lodge in Lake Placid, colorful triangular souvenir pennants have their roots in the flags and banners that represented clubs, schools, colleges and fraternal organizations around the turn of the 20th century. They were fashioned of felted wool and decorated with insignias, letters, names and colors that reflected their affiliation.
Pennants decorated the walls of dorm rooms and frat houses and were proudly waved by spectators at sporting events to show pride and support. When the invention of the automobile made travel a national pastime, entrepreneurs jumped on the bandwagon and began producing destination pennants.
Red has been an avid collector of pennants since the early 1980s. One of his most valuable examples is a large rectangular maroon and white banner from Harvard Business School. It decorates the entrance hall at Paradox Lodge Restaurant and has caught the eye of many visitors.
"One woman wanted it for her husband who graduated from Harvard Business School," he said, "and she offered me $1000 for it, but I just don't want to sell it."
When Red began collecting 30 years ago, he scoured antique shops, auctions and yard sales for regional pennants that featured Adirondack imagery.
"At that time, pennants were not recognized like they are today" he said. "They seemed to be an insignificant area of collecting."
As a result, they were quite affordable, and at times Red would buy significant lots of them for just one or two examples that featured the name Lake Placid. These days, the Internet has changed all that. Nostalgia-based Web sites and eBay on-line auctions that specialize in the colorful flags have driven up the price. What once sold for $1 or $2 can now run the collector $10, $25 or even $50.
ALWAYS ONE MORE
Red's favorite pennants are those that reflect his interest in the Adirondack Mountains — namely Lake Placid and the surrounding North Country region. He and his wife, Nan, have incorporated them into the decor of their restaurant, along with charming oil paintings, vintage Americana and regional memorabilia. The dining room walls offer patrons a sentimental trip down memory lane.
Some pennants feature vignettes depicting natural wonders such as the unique rock and river formations at AuSable Chasm or the summit of Whiteface Memorial Highway. Several of the pennants are dated with a semicircle of yellow felt numbers from the early 1950s and represent the nation's first theme park, Santa's Workshop at the North Pole on Whiteface Mountain. Brook trout; wildlife; scenic mountains; pinecones and foliage; sailboats on the water; Indians in full headdress, riding horse back and paddling canoes; skiers and ski jumpers, both male and female; the 1932 Olympic Arena; Mirror Lake and the AuSable River all decorate pennants that proudly proclaim LAKE PLACID, NY.
An avid skier, Red is partial to the pennants that feature downhill skiing imagery and the words: Lake Placid, NY, The Switzerland of America.
His favorite pennant, he said with a chuckle, is "the one I don't have."
Paradox Lodge Restaurant serves dinner Thursday to Sunday evenings. For reservations, call 523-9078 or visit www.paradoxlodge.com.
To view original television footage of the Chevrolet ad, go to: YouTube: See the USA Chevrolet — Dinah Shore —1952.
Julie Robinson Robards lives in Upper Jay. An antiques appraiser, she studied at the Institute for the Study of Antiques and Collectibles in Emmaus, Penn., is an advisor to Warman's Antiques and Collectible Price Guide and is a plastics historian with two published books on the subject of Celluloid. Since 1995, she has been a writer for AntiqueWeek Newspaper.
Contact her at her Web site: celluloidforever.com.
