Virginia Tech Image Archive

Virginia Tech's Imagebase
has a collection of over 10,000 images taken by photographers working for the Norfolk & Western Railway, over 2000 Civil War images (documents and photos), 700+ maps, 800+ theater and music images (including playbills and sheet music), not to mention a number of other photo collections that are eminently worth exploring.

Roadside Architecture

This website celebrates the remaining examples of roadside architecture dedicated to the reaping of the almighty dollar from the growing motorist culture of the mid 20th century. Everything is here, from the ubiquitous vintage drive-in fast food joints, restored and repurposed Mobilgas, Pure Oil, and Texaco gas stations, to the more bizarre items, such as the world's largest highboy in High Point, NC; the Beer Can House in Houston, TX, made of 39,000 beer cans and countless other pieces of recycleables; and the Dinosaur Land in White Post, VA, with 40 different figures (not all dinosaurs).

European Travel Ephemera

Travel ephemera is always fascinating, due to

the different typographic styles, artwork, and

the destinations described and advertised. This

site has all kinds of interesting brochures, posters,

time-tables, labels, etc., from 1920's and 1930's
Europe. It is sorted by country of origin as well as
type of transportation for easy searching.

Flickr Vintage Advertising Group

The vintage ads from the middle of the last century ran the gamut from incredibly artistic to basic and uninspiring, but all of them give us a glimpse into the aspirations and consumer culture of the time. The Golden Age of Advertising group on Flickr compiles images of ads from the 50's to the 70's, for everything imaginable, from feminine hygeine products to cars to appliances to household goods, and a lot in between. By way of disclosure, the linked image is one that I have added to the group.

Plan 59 retro ads and art

If you love the vintage art from ads in magazines like Life and Look from the 1950's and 1960's, especially car ads, then Plan 59 is a place where you will spend hours. There are hundreds of high res images and they can even be ordered from the site as high quality art prints.