Have you ever seen those old postcards with the quaint, idyllic scenes of small towns and villages? Photographer Pablo Iglesias Maurer decided to track down the locations of some of these cards from the 1960s to see how they looked today. The results are both fascinating and a little bit heartbreaking. Check out his blog post to see for yourself!
1. Cocktail Longe in the Poconos.
This once-popular cocktail lounge at an upscale resort in the Poconos now sits in disrepair. “Peaceful relaxation – healthful recreation,” says the caption on the back of the Kardmasters postcard.
2. Lifeguards Have Always Been Favorite Guys on The Beach.
In this 1960s postcard by H. Rubenstein, the lakeside summers in the Poconos appealed to many visitors
3. Swim n’ Sun Indoor Swimming Pool.
On the inside of the matchbook, some text: “Swim n’ Sun Indoor Swimming Pool at Penn Hills Lodge and Cottages. The Poconos’ Finest Modern Resort.”
4. Grossinger’s – Jenny G Wing – 1964
This structure was erected the last at Grossinger’s. It was designed by the man who created the modern look of hotels in Miami.
5. Abandoned Theatre in Poconos
Its last play was performed sometime during the ’90s. As a result, it now looks more like a set of the “Walking Dead” than some prestige theater.
6. Eagle Lake.
Postcard caption: “Birchwood is the only resort offering three swimming pool facilities, indoor pool, outdoor pool, and lake with beach. Pictured here is beautiful Eagle Lake, at the foot of the Village Green. Here couples enjoy the white-sand beach, chaise lounges, bicycles, rowboats, and fish off its shores … Six low-cost all-expense package plans include indoor swimming, airplane rides, movies, bowling, horseback riding, all winter sports, and 40 other free activities!”
7. A lane attendant at the Homowack lodge in the Catskills.
8. Structure from the 1970s
“Ultra-modern building that houses the dining room, cocktail lounge, lobbies, and offices.”
9. Residential Building At a Poconos Resort
This building is now an actual ruin. It is only a shadow of something beautiful that once was. It is a shame objects like this one, surrounded by nature, haven’t resisted time. The back of the postcard has writing, “Dear Bernie – Don’t think we forgot you – but we’re having such a grand time that postcards are a chore! This is the life & the place & the people are grand. We couldn’t be happier or have more fun. See you soon! Love, Lou & Shiela.”
10. The local swimming pool transformed into a wasteland
The entire structure was air-conditioned; it had floor heating, a gym under the swimming pool, a salon, other exercise rooms, and much more. Unfortunately, the late ’90s were the last time it had visitors. It is now so ruined that it can’t be repaired.
11. A dried-out swimming pool
Olympic-sized pool, built-in 1949. If someone wanted to build this pool, they would have to spend over $5 Million.
12. A forgotten restaurant
The browns and reds and oranges of this Poconos dining hall’s carpet have turned green, the color of the moss that’s taken its place.
13. Abandoned bowling alley.
This is the lower level of the Homowack Lodge. It has a foul-lane Brunswick Bowling Alley. NY Department of Environmental Conversation ordered its closure and deemed it uninhabitable.
14. Grossinger’s Indoor Tennis Center
The back of this postcard has an ad for Grossinger’s rye bread. “The fun and fresh air people get here at Grossinger’s give them an appetite. They love all of our food – a particular favorite is our Grossinger’s rye and pumpernickel bread. You can get this healthy, flavorful bread at your local food store. Try a loaf. I’m sure you’ll love it.”
15. A deserted lake
Sunbathing and swimming in the Poconos, postmarked 1967. “Dear Jonnie: If you were only here, I would take you for a horseback ride – or else we could go golfing. Be good until I see you. Dr. Waterman.”
16. The indoor pool at Grossinger’s.
The indoor pool at Grossinger’s opened in 1958. Elizabeth Taylor attended the pool’s opening, and Florence Chadwick — the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions — took the first dip. From Ross Padluck’s excellent Lost Architecture of Paradise: “…The new indoor pool at Grossinger’s was the zenith of the Catskills. Nothing like it had ever been built, and nothing would be again. It represented everything about the Catskills in the 1950s-style: extravagance, luxury, modernism, and celebrity.”
17. Theater in Pocono Resort
This theatre even now seems spectacular. The postcard has 1200 seats and says it was “the world’s most modern showplace.”
The photographer found that some locations have changed drastically, while others look similar. Which one did you find most astonishing? Are there any other places from these postcards which are still recognizable today? What do you think happened to them all those years ago? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
