Diners: People and Places

Entertainment Weekly
High-style pictures of America's favorite form of vernacular architecture.


Washington Post
Each of the diners pictured is different--some are sleek and streamlined, elegant with neon; others boxy and slabsided. All radiate the easy familiarity of these cozy eating places.


Booklist
Fine Americana, fine photography.


Chicago Tribune
Showcases 68 of these picturesque eateries, which are rapidly disappearing from the American landscape.


Book Description
The American diner was traditionally a miniature restaurant, originally a mobile one, providing solid, inexpensive food for the working man at virtually all hours of the day and night. From its humble origins in 1872, the diner reached its peak in the 1920s and 1930s and was particularly popular during the sad years of the Depression. In recent years, modest diners have been dying out, victims of the pervasive fast-food chains. Gerd Kittel, the distinguished German photographer, has scoured the American city and countryside for outstanding relics, and shows us not only a selection of architectural surprises and delights but also the interiors of these nostalgic eateries and the individuals who have become their faithful denizens. For this updated edition, Kittel returns to America and the diner, adding a selection of new photos to the collection.


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From its humble origins in 1872 through its peak in the 1920s and 1930s to its present-day decline, distinguished German photographer Gerd Kittel chronicles the history of the American diner in 68 color images.


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