Diners

By John Baeder

Book Overview

Included here are paintings and descriptions of more than 100 diners from every part of the United States. The artist's own captions introduce each diner - many of which no longer exist - and describe their food specialties, their sometimes quirky histories, and their owners, managers, or patrons. In the first edition 50 paintings were reproduced in color; for this new, revised, and updated edition, there are 69 in color. The artist has selected forty recent paintings to replace earlier works, most of which were shown only in black and white. New reminiscences, new anecdotes, and new facts accompany the paintings. Written by Baeder in his inimitable, conversational style, these brief texts tell the reader much about diner history, fashions in food and popular architecture, and about the amiable, slightly nutty man who pursues diners obsessively, yet views them with a perception that rivals that of a connoisseur of haute cuisine.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810920786
• ISBN13: 9780810920781
• Release Date: January 1978
• Publisher: ABRAMS
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Lovely

A poignant and beautifully-done collection of paintings so clear you can almost smell the burgers on the grill. A must-have both from an artistic standpoint and a preservationist standpoint, as diners become a rare breed.

A must have for both nostalgists and watercolorists

Sensitive photorealistic watercolor studies of east coast diners, both inside and out, mostly postcard-like frontal views, interspersed with conversations the artist had with the people in and around his finds. My favorite was the man who spoke to him of having "Diner Feet." Like the feet of Langston Hughes' Jesse B. Semple, his feet have lives of their own and tell their tales. The paintings themselves clearly convey the joy that Baeder takes in his finds; fabled jewels found in barnyards