Nabb Center Placemat Exhibit Brings Back Memories of 'Eat and Fun'

SALISBURY, MD---Travelers may no longer be able to dine at the Big “O” Drive-In in Corvallis, OR; the Bit of Budapest Hungarian Restaurant in Parma Heights, OH; or the Skyline Restaurant in Front Royal, VA.

At Salisbury University’s Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture, however, they can relive fond memories from a bygone era via a collection of paper placemats from these and other U.S. restaurants of the 1950s and ’60s, culled from the center’s collections.

Highlights on display in the center’s lobby began as part of a larger exhibit, “Traveling Through Special Collections: Vignettes of Voyages and Travel,” opened in the lobby of SU’s Patricia R. Guerrieri Academic Commons in 2018. When that exhibit was moved to another part of the building in 2019, the placemat portion of the display was relocated to the Nabb Center.

“While the majority of the center’s holdings focus on local history, our special collections represent broader areas of interest, providing unique primary source material for researchers,” said Dr. Creston Long, the center’s director. “Samples from SU Libraries’ curated collection of vintage placemats provided a perfect complement to our travel exhibition, and they remain a popular display at the center.”

“These placemats were meant to be used once and thrown away,” said Ian Post, the center’s special collections librarian. “Most of those that survive in our holdings were kept as souvenirs from road trips or family vacations. Given that these pieces were produced to be instantly disposable, it’s astonishing that they’re still here 50-60 years later.”

Adorned with examples of the colorful “Googie” and modern art that defined mid-20th-century America, many of the placemats on display don’t harken to specific restaurants, but instead cover a wide variety of topics. One lists points of interest on Highway 101 from Oregon to California. Others highlight American folklore, antique automobiles, odd local laws and Baseball Hall of Famers.

Still others are more state-centric, offering examples of the roadside wonders that could be found in Ohio, Florida (pre-Walt Disney World) and Hawaii (“Our 50th state”).

“Eating out is fun!” exclaims one example.

At many restaurants, the placemats helped ensure that.

The Nabb Research Center is located on the fourth floor of the Guerrieri Academic Commons. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

For more information call 410-543-6312 or visit the center’s website.