Tommy Gwaltney's Blues Alley Georgetown, DC

I'm a fan of DC area spots on matchbooks like this one for Tommy Gwaltney's Blues Alley in  Georgetown, DC. At soem point they dropped the namesake and just kept Blue Alley. 

Now's The Time For Jell-O

Two Jell-O full books I had never seen before. Now's The Time For Jell-O.

Tasty-Dinner Dog Food

Found another dog food cover, this time for Tasty-Dinner Dog Food.

Who knew?

Who knew Harrisburg had one of these?

Hotel Floridan and Gator Bar and Lounge

The front cover for the Hotel Floridan isn't near as interesting as the back cover which advertises the Gator Bar and Lounge. My friends know I like any cover that says Entertainment Nightly, but to have that and an orange 'gator in a top hat, cane and tux holding a mixed drink while dancing? Quickly becoming one of my favorite covers.

Paddy's Clam House in New York City

Paddy's Clam House at 215 West 34th Street in New York City was just a few buildings down from Macy's. There's a lot of history about it out there. This is an older Lion Match cover and is one of the longer ones.

From a series of postcards that Paddy's Clam House had made. Depending on which one you find the prices in the window may vary. Imagine a complete New York City lunch for $1.21

The Hilltop Motor Court at Seven Corners

The Hilltop Motor Court at Seven Corners ( the intersection of route 50 and route 7 ) was a place that in the late 80's and early 90's I was told by my father never to go near. Maybe because of the undercover surveillance and drug activity. But in it's heyday, the Hilltop Motor Court was a gorgeous place and I loved the architecture of the old motel. I recently came across this matchbook holder from Hilltop Motor Court. It was filthy and stained at first, but a few days in a container of soapy water cleaned it up pretty nice.

Hilltop Motor Court in it's former glory when owned by Mr. and Mrs. Joe H. Thompson.

Club Yokosuka

Club Yokosuka was, among other things, a club located on or near a US naval base in Japan. It deemed itself as "the only club in Yokosuka where the strip show is performed on the bar." All that's left of the matchbox is the wooden top, which is spectacular in and of itself, but the back of it is priceless: "This is some joint" written in pen by a young US Navy man. Judging by the image on the cover, I bet it was some joint.

Chicago's Silver Frolics

There's nothing I can say about Chicago's Silver Frolics club that this pristine, complete feature 30 strike can't say itself.

Westchester's Finest Beauty Shop For Dogs

If you thought pampering your dog to the extreme was a new thing, think again. Here's a mid 1960's cover for the White Plains, New York The Poodle Shop. "Westchester's Finest Beauty Shop For Dogs"

Lodges and Tourist Cabins

Lodges and Tourist Cabins are kind of a thing of the past, an early predecessor of the modern motel. They were very popular starting around turn of the century America. Lodging in these cabins often billed luxurious amenities such as "indoor baths" and electricity as perks of staying there.

I particularly liked the Cascade Lodge and Cabins cover, with a waterfall surrounded by mature pines, nestled into the letter C of Cascade. 

Actual photo of cabins belonging to Cascade Lodge and Cabins.

Wait a second...where'd all the trees go? Where's that waterfall? Cascade Lodge and Cabins postcard.

An aerial photo of the Cascade Lodge and Cabins shows that you'll have to do a little hiking to get to that wonderful pine forest. You'll need to go by car if you want to find that waterfall on their matchbook.

For more on the subject: http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2008/07/1950s-tourist-cabins/

The YMCA

Here's a nice, small category to collect, YMCA's. These ones span the nation, from New York City to St. Louis and Chicago to San Francisco.

From the YMCA website:

"The Y is for everyone. Our programs, services and initiatives: enable kids to realize their potential, prepare teens for college, offer ways for families to have fun together, empower people to be healthier in spirit, mind and body, prepare people for employment, welcome and embrace newcomers and help foster a nationwide service ethic. And that's just the beginning."

MARVA's 2013 RMS Convention Matchbooks

MARVA has a brand new RMS Convention matchbook for 2013! At our last meeting we discussed as a club whether or not to change the current design. Everyone was very supportive of a new design and we went ahead and did it.I hope everyone likes it.

We just have a few more wrinkles to iron out then it's off to Atlas Match with the artwork. Look for them soon!

MARVA's New Email Address

The MARVA matchbook club has a new, official email address!

You can email the MARVA club at:

marvaclub@gmail.com