SOCIETY for
COMMERCIAL
ARCHEOLOGY
Advocates for America’s
Roadside Heritage
SOCIETY for
COMMERCIAL
ARCHEOLOGY
Advocates for America’s
Roadside Heritage
Celebrating the signs, structures and experiences of the 20th-century American roadscape.
The SCA is a member-supported organization. Join now and gain exclusive access to a full calendar of in-person and online events, recordings, subscriptions to the SCA Journal and Road Notes, full-text access to our website, free downloads and more!
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EXPLORE OUR ARCHIVE
Take a trip through 40 years of articles, book reviews, videos and more
Celebrating the signs, structures and experiences of the 20th-century American roadscape.
Join now and gain exclusive access to live and virtual events, the SCA Journal and Road Notes, and lots more.
Join Now
Donate to Annual Appeal
EXPLORE OUR ARCHIVE
Take a trip through 40 years of articles, book reviews, videos and more
Upcoming Events
Zoom Event: Ralph Wilcox – The Negro Motorist Green Book in Arkansas
Register now for our February 10, 2021 Zoom event. Join Ralph Wilcox, National Register & Survey Coordinator at the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, for a program on The Negro Motorist Green Book in Arkansas. Free for members.
Learn More / Register
Learn More / Register
RESCHEDULED: Summer Tour
PLEASE NOTE: Our marvelous mid-century weekend in Queens, New York, sponsored by the Society for Commercial Archeology and co-host Retro Roadmap, has been postponed to 2021 (at the earliest) due the COVID-19 crisis. Please see details.
Learn More / Register
Learn More / Register
News
NEW! THE JIM SEELEN MOTEL IMAGES COLLECTION
14,000 MOTELS
SCA member Jim “Motel King” Seelen’s motel images collection is now part of our library. This database contains more than 23,000 images with details on more than 14,000 motels that once operated in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
NEW! THE JIM SEELEN MOTEL IMAGES COLLECTION
14,000 MOTELS
SCA member Jim “Motel King” Seelen’s motel images collection is part of our library. This database contains more than 23,000 images with details on more than 14,000 motels that once operated in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Articles
DR PATRICK’S POSTCARD ROADSIDE: Caves and Cars on Missouri’s Route 66
The limestones of the Missouri Ozarks are pock marked with show caves that prospered on the traffic of Route 66.
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Book Review: Traces of J.B. Jackson
By Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, reviewed by Philip Langdon: If commercial archeology had a patron saint, it would doubtless be John Brinckerhoff Jackson.
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C-Span: Lectures in History –20th-Century Roadside Attractions
In this C-SPAN presentation, University of Mary Washington Professor (and SCA member) Christine Henry talks about the history of roadside attractions and her own experience traveling to a freshwater pond in Ohio called the Blue Hole.
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5 Faves: Fredricksburg, Texas
By Mike Carsten – Historic preservation is vital to residents of Fredericksburg, Texas. Although there are many memorable places for commercial archeologists, here are my five faves.
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A Good Night’s Sleep
By Lyle Miller – The sign beckons you, the building interests you, and the office welcomes you, but the room itself defines most of your motel lodging experience ...
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Reading List: Race, Architecture and Travel
This fascinating reading list, a mixture of academic journals, books, and newspaper articles curated by SCA board members Kimberly Ellis and Irene Lule, introduces us to a range of work on the related topics of race, architecture, and travel.
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DOWNLOAD/BUY
SCA Journal Back Issues | SCA Road Notes Back Issues
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The Society for Commercial Archeology is an all-volunteer road-tripping organization fueled entirely by your support.
Standard and donation-level memberships available