Teardrops and Tiny Trailers
Synopsis:
Buckle up as Douglas Keister takes you for a decidedly retro ride in the world of diminutive travel trailers in Teardrops and Tiny Trailers. The demand for vintage trailers-the smaller the better-has risen dramatically in recent years, with the most in-demand trailers being "teardrops," first manufactured in the 1930s and containing just indoor sleeping space and an outdoor exterior kitchen. Also profiled in the book are "canned ham" trailers, whose shape resembles the profile of a can of ham; small-size examples of America's most beloved vintage trailer, the Airstream; miniscule gypsy caravans in Europe; and fiberglass trailers made in Canada. Two hundred color photographs showcase these trailers' sleek exteriors, retro-styled interiors, and, in many cases, the restored classic cars that tow them. Teardrops and Tiny Trailers includes a resource section chock-full of places to locate vintage trailers, clubs to join, and rallies to attend.
Photographer/writer Douglas Keister has authored thirty-six critically acclaimed books. His books on classic recreational vehicles include Ready to Roll, Silver Palaces, and Mobile Mansions. In addition, he has authored twenty-five books on architecture, including Inside the Bungalow, Storybook Style, Red Tile Style, Classic Cottages, and Cottages. Keister also writes and illustrates magazine articles and contributes photographs and essays to dozens of magazines, newspapers, books, calendars, posters, and greeting cards worldwide. He lives in Chico, California.
Book Excerpt:
The Road
Ah, the Road! That shimmering, steaming ribbon of asphalt that criss-crosses the country. It’s the stuff of adventure. The promise of new horizons; new people; a new life. We humans are herd animals. We tend to clump together. But sometimes we just need to break away. No longer passive cows; we make a mad dash for greener pastures and bigger and bluer skies. In earlier times, Gulliver traveled and Twain went roughing it. Germans call it wanderlust; Aussies take off on a walkabout and Brits go on a bimble.
The road is the great democratizer, available to anyone with a set of wheels and a few coins of the realm. Whether our transporters are mopeds or Maseratis the sinuous black macadam is available to all. The road trip is fodder for great novels. Steinbeck traveled with a poodle well into his dotage named Charley. William Least Heat Moon stayed in the slow lane along America’s blue highways. And Jack Kerouac went on the road for the quintessential voyage of self-discovery. Taking a road trip is for many a rite of passage. A way to collect one’s thoughts during times of transition. Youth to adulthood. Classrooms to the working world. Single life to marriage. Marriage to singlehood.
Topics/Categories:
Nostalgia, recreation, Transportation, Vintage Travel Trailers
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Original Publish Date:
August 1, 2008
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