SOCIETY for
COMMERCIAL
ARCHEOLOGY
Advocates for America’s
Roadside Heritage
SOCIETY for
COMMERCIAL
ARCHEOLOGY
Advocates for
America’s
Roadside Heritage
SOCIETY for
COMMERCIAL
ARCHEOLOGY
Advocates for
America’s
Roadside Heritage
Photo: Vintage Wisconsin Dells
The SCA is the oldest national organization devoted to the signs, structures and experiences of the 20th-century American roadscape.
Join us and get all these benefits:
- Exclusive pop-up events
- SCA Journal and SCA Road Notes
- Free digital downloads
- Member-only web content
- Member pricing to our annual conference
See what we do, subscribe to our free email newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Albany Pop-Up Tour a Huge Success – On a spectacularly beautiful May day in 2019, the SCA hosted a 5-hour tour of the “Automobile-Related Environment of New York State,” retracing the route mapped for our 1989 conference. See story and photos.
The SCA is the oldest national organization devoted to the signs, structures and experiences of the 20th-century American roadscape.
Join us and get all these benefits:
- Exclusive access to our pop-up events
- Subscriptions to SCA Journal and SCA Road Notes
- Free digital downloads
- Member-only web content
- Member pricing to our annual conference
- All for just $45 annually ($35 for students)
See what we do, subscribe to our free email newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Articles
Close Cover Before Striking
In the period between World War I and II, cigarette smoking was commonplace, and the most popular advertising giveaway was the matchbook. The following samples illustrate some businesses that catered to tourists.
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Sombreros Tequila & Sin
By Douglas C. Towne – For Cinco de Mayo, the SCA celebrates in true roadside style with a classic article by Douglas Towne on the "turista" districts just south of the border.
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Midwest Five Faves
FULL ARTICLE by Mary Ann Buckner – A vintage Five Faves documenting Mary Ann’s drive-by finds during a summer trip to photograph the lighthouses of Lake Michigan.
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DOWNLOAD/BUY
SCA Journal Back Issues | SCA Road Notes Back Issues
Upcoming Events
NYC Five Faves Pop-Up
October 12, 2019: Join the Society for Commercial Archeology for a pop-up event in New York City on October 12, 2019, as we follow our president, Michael Hirsch, in search of his Manhattan Five Faves.
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News
SCA Weekly News Review: June 16, 2019
After time off for the SCA Conference, the Weekly News Review returns with five stories to start you off on another great roadside summer.
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SCA Weekly News Review: June 2, 2019
It’s conference week and we’re heading for The Dells. Here are a few news items to read on the way.
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SCA Weekly News: May 26, 2019
A reminder to get out and enjoy your roadside heritage America, in all its naked and ephemeral glory!
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SCA Weekly News: May 19, 2019
For the love of neon! And fast food. And fast-disappearing roadside treasures.
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Albany 30th Anniversary Pop-Up Tour
On May 18, 2019, the Society for Commercial Archeology hosted a pop-up event in Albany, New York. We retraced (more or less) our 1989 tour. Using the original program as our guide, we hopped in our cars, connected via cell phone, and saw what was still there, what had changed and what has disappeared ... adding a few new finds – and friends – along the way.
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Road Trips
From the Black Hills to the Jersey Shore, with stops at every diner in between, our conferences, caravans and pop-ups are the stuff of legend! Join us on our next adventure.
Upcoming EventsJournal & Web
In addition to our conferences, caravans and pop-up events, SCA benefits include the prestigious SCA Journal, SCA Road Notes, and password access to member-only content on our website.
Join the SCAGet Published
The SCA offers quality publication opportunities for preservation professionals, academics, authors, independent scholars and enthusiasts. We can’t wait to publish you!
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