Continued from…

Have you invited the slide owners to see the show? If so, how have they responded?

No, I think most of them are probably dead.

It's clear that you have a true affection for the people in the slides. But are you ever accused of capitalizing on (semi-) private moments? If you are, is that a bad thing?

I've never been accused of that and I hope I never am. My slide shows and the God Bless Americana book are lighthearted and genuine.

Did you have to learn the archivist trade to manage such a huge collection?

I'm still learning! Do you know anyone who wants to come over and sort slides? I need all the help I can get. Editing, categorizing, and cataloging all the slide collections I come across is a huge task.

Do you have an absolute favorite slide or set of slides?

That's impossible to say. One of my all-time favorites is an amazing shot of a White Front store. I met the Brady Bunch in the White Front store in my hometown of Ontario, Calif., when they were promoting their Christmas Album in 1972. I love great shots of old cars, signage, early theme parks, especially Disneyland, Las Vegas, world fairs, tourist attractions, city views, amazing home interiors and of course the most interesting thing of all: the people.

What does God Bless Americana part two have to say about the Southern California mindset of the time?

It speaks of SO many things. The mood is up, prosperity rules, and the standard of living is flying high. The rapid growth after W.W. II, the early days of our great theme parks, old Hollywood landmarks, behind the scenes on the set of The Ten Commandments, fast food restaurants, shopping centers, bowling alleys, buying a new car every year and moving to a new tract home in suburbia, BBQs, and swimming pools and much, much more!

What are the weirdest slides in your collection?

A bondage/Christmas party in Los Angeles, 1957. The women are bound and gagged and wearing their bras on the outside of their dresses while the men smile.

I imagine in such a huge collection, there's a lot of sameness, especially in tourist shots … is this the case?

People’s photography skills and habits tend to be the same. I'm always looking for the unique and unusual. The most photographed place is the Grand Canyon.

Do you have people who try to photographically break the mold in the same old tourist traps?

Oh yes! And those are the slides I'm looking for. I recently found a spectacular shot of the Statue of Liberty that was taken from a most unusual vantagepoint–standing up close right in front of her looking up her skirt. It’s now part of the USA tour.

You were an arbiter of the whole '50s/'60s Vegas swing/lounge cocktail culture revival before it was cool, and it seems like you'll be there after Urban Outfitters has put its kidney-shaped ashtrays into the bargain bin. Did the trend cheapen the era?

No, I don't think so. That stuff is all interpretations of the original stuff. There is NO substitute for the genuine article.

Would you say your shows transcend cheap nostalgia?

Definitely! What I'm showing audiences and readers is the real thing. Something that not even Hollywood can reproduce.

Do Americans have too little respect for the past?

In general, yes. The culture of this country, the productivity, the products, the consumerism, is staggering. It's a huge part of our heritage. However, nostalgia is big and "retro" things are cool these days. Certainly the media has picked up on the trend and helped to spread it. And collectors and collectibles have gotten a lot more respect in the last decade or so.

If you could time-travel to any era in American history and just walk around for an afternoon, when and where would you choose?

Difficult to answer that one, but I guess I'd have to say for one afternoon it would have to Las Vegas, 1958. The last great '50s hotel casino on the strip, the Stardust, opened that year. Plus my favorite cars of all time–the '58s and '59s–would be brand-new… heaven!!! There are so many other times and places I could go on and on, but I'll spare you. Well, maybe I won't. Let’s see… Disneyland in 1959 when the Matterhorn, Submarine, and Monorail were added to Tomorrowland. There would have to be a trip to the 1939 and 1964 New York World's Fairs. Actually, I think the 1939 New York World's Fair would be the ultimate. It really did predict the future even if the people had to wait until after the war to get it.

What things from today do you think will be looked back upon fondly and nostalgically? (Can these things be predicted?)

Hard to say. I don't really think in those terms. One thing I know for sure is that I won't be the one collecting it!

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