CENTER & MAIN

Center & Main is a story about Middle America

From the 1940's onwards, the US was in a period of great prosperity. Optimism was high and the motor industry was booming. The ordinary public could suddenly afford their own family car and to travel and see their nation. The famous Route 66 and other highways traversed the states and opened up the country.

On the back of this, many motels, cafes, diners and service stations opened up and did well, creating a style and imagery synonymous with that era and place.

Then the passenger jet came along. As the decades passed air travel got cheaper, more convenient and more popular. This meant everyday people could now hop on an airplane and be on the other side of the country in just a couple of hours, rather than driving cross country for days.

What remains on these routes is a reminder of that prosperous time. We see the dilapidation of an area that has become slightly forgotten, apart from as memento of retro style.