The Herald Bulletin
It’s got that look
The Frisch’s that sits on the north end of the Broadway bridge in Anderson is an example of what is known as “Googie” architectural style. Influenced by the car culture and the space-age trends of the post-World War II era, Googie was known for its flourishing cantilever roof design, brazen angles and vibrant signage, including influences from boomerangs, flying saucers, atoms and other imagery of the 1950s and ’60s.
Many of the Big Boy restaurants across the U.S. followed this unique scheme, including the famous Bob’s Big Boy in Toluca Lake, Calif., just a few miles from the NBC studios in Burbank. A great deal of the early attractions at Disneyland also reflected the Googie ethic, including Tomorrowland.
The design was famously displayed — and parodied — in the animated series “The Jetsons” in the 1960s. It was variously known as “populuxe” and “doo-wop” design. (The name “Googie,” by the way, comes from a 1949 coffee shop on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, one of the earliest examples of the look.)
— From GoogieArt.com, SpaceAgeCity.com and Wikipedia.com
