Cinematic Signs: Drive-In Murals Captured by John Margolies

The first time I saw this weathered ‘Trail’ sign, I was at the relatively early stages of my interest in ghost signs. I remember being impressed by the sheer scale of the letters, the striking blue sky, and the pink on the background being echoed by the kiosk below. At the time, I had no idea what it was advertising, but it must have sat somewhere in my subconscious for well over a decade until another photo of it crossed my path last month.Trail Drive-In, Route 66, Amarillo, Texas, in 1977. Photo: John Margolies / Library of Congress.This second picture was shared by one of my favourite Mastodon accounts, @roadside@tech.intersects.art, an automated feed of images from the incredible John Margolies Roadside America photograph archive at the Library of Congress. I’d become more familiar with Margolies’ work while researching the American Sign Museum book, and so, second time around, I was looking at the sign with some new context.