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Marbett's

Marbett's

Marbett's

Thanks to Kathleen Lathom for the use of her photos (above), and to Tom Willis for his photos (below) showing the pattern in red on a Glo-Tan body.

Marbetts

Marbetts


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According to the Delaware Valley Rhythm & Blues Society Inc. website, "Marbett's was a part of the White Tower chain, and was their attempt at a larger sit-down restaurant. The Marbett's in Camden [N.J.] was originally a White Tower building, and was converted into a Marbett's. When this was done a second White Tower was built on the opposite side of Admiral Wilson Boulevard." Click here to see a photo of one of the Marbett's restaurants.

In his book "20th Century Design," Jonathan Woodham describes Marbett's as "the first deluxe White Tower outlet ... an archetypal symbol of 1930s commercial life, the name Marbett's being adopted to give the allusion of competition. The Deco-inspired glazed, curving windows, the striped horizontal decorative and neon bands had, by the 1930s, a particularly American flavour. The rounded corners reflected the vogue for streamlining, and the prominent signage tower recognized the importance of communicating with passing automobile traffic. The usherettes' 'commander' performed his work on rollerskates."

 

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