Diners:People and Places

Presenting portraits of the American diner from its origins in 1872, this text reveals the architecture and interiors of the diners, from unpretentious roadside "eateries" to nostalgic glass-walled originals with neon lighting and chrome.

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The American "diner" was traditionally a small restaurant - more or less in the form of railway car - which provided solid, inexpensive food for the working man at virtually all hours of the day and night. From its humble origins in 1872, the diner flourished in the 1920s and 30s and was particularly frequented during the bleakest years of the Depression. In recent decades, diners have been dying out, victims of pervasive fast-food chains. Gerd Kittel has scoured city and countryside for outstanding relics of this American classic. Here, alongside evocative portraits of the diner's faithful denizens, he reveals an eclectic array of architectural and interior delights - from unpretentious roadside "eateries" to nostalgic glass-walled originals, complete with neon lighting and gleaming chrome.