Travel Tips Travel Photography In Photos: American Motel Signs By Mariah Tyler Published on January 28, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email Time travel may not be possible, but remnants of the past remain in corners of the world. Modern travelers typically plan out their accommodations in advance, but these photographs show that once upon a time all you needed to do was look for a sign along the road declaring “VACANCY,” and maybe listing an amenity or two—like a color TV and air conditioning! Steve Fitch, a photographer and anthropologist, has been photographing roadside motel signs since the late 1970s. He was inspired by road trips his family took when he was young, between Northern California and South Dakota. The photographs, all taken in the same square composition, depict more than signs but rather unique highway sculptures of a lost era. While back in the 1970s there was no nostalgia for neon motel signs, Fitch says, “I do think I had some kind of subconscious premonition that things were going to change; I think that my photographic interests have always been driven, to some extent, by an eye towards history.” Part of the realized nostalgia of these signs is the change in road culture: Fitch notes that there are now standard signs made by corporate-owned motels that create an unexciting monotony along the highway. But the old signs all stand out independently of one another, representing a sense of freedom and the spontaneity of road trips. From a wrapped gift at the Christmas Motel to an elaborate stagecoach at the Butterfield Stage Motel, the designs are matched to their locations. Prints from the book are exhibited at Photo-Eye Bookstore Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, through February 18. And Fitch's book, “American Motel Signs,” is available to purchase online. 01 of 22 Paradise Motel © Steve Fitch 02 of 22 Sunflower Motel © Steve Fitch 03 of 22 El Nido Motel © Steve Fitch 04 of 22 Sleepy Hollow Motel © Steve Fitch 05 of 22 Sky Ranch Motel © Steve Fitch 06 of 22 Wyoming Motel © Steve Fitch 07 of 22 Butterfield Stage Motel © Steve Fitch 08 of 22 Scenic Motel Trailer Court © Steve Fitch 09 of 22 Bingo's Motel © Steve Fitch 10 of 22 Royal Motel © Steve Fitch 11 of 22 Motel Post Rock © Steve Fitch 12 of 22 Chief Motel © Steve Fitch 13 of 22 Davey's Motel © Steve Fitch 14 of 22 Royal Motel © Steve Fitch 15 of 22 Ideal Motel © Steve Fitch 16 of 22 Rabbit Ears Motel © Steve Fitch 17 of 22 Seneca Motel © Steve Fitch 18 of 22 Grand View Motel © Steve Fitch 19 of 22 Christmas Motel © Steve Fitch 20 of 22 Ute Trail Motel © Steve Fitch 21 of 22 White Motel © Steve Fitch 22 of 22 Ranch View Motel © Steve Fitch Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit