Diners: Still Cookin' In the 21st Century

     This interactive exhibition celebrating all things diner opened in May 2003 and will remain on display through June 2008. Curated by renowned author and diner expert Richard J. S. Gutman, and designed by Malcolm Grear Designers, of Providence, RI, the exhibit explores the fascinating history of the diner, from horse-drawn wagon to cultural phenomenon.
     Culled from the collection of Mr. Gutman and his wife, Kellie, Diners: Still Cookin' in the 21st Century contains such gems as a life size replica of a classic lunch counter, the award winning documentary "Buddy's Truck Stop," and a myriad of original artifacts detailing the history of the diner in America.
     "Too much of the public took diners for granted," commented Mr. Gutman. "They were always kind of invisible even though they were spectacular." In his new exhibit, Mr. Gutman pays homage to this "uniquely American contribution," highlighting the "many aspects of their architecture and iconography." Viewing their history through the diner's "ebbing and flowing of popularity," the exhibit "provides a small slice of a very particular part of the food service business."
     From the moment you enter the exhibit, through a full-scale stainless steel diner façade created by Kullman Industries, Inc., of Lebanon, New jersey, you are completely immersed in the world of diners. The exhibit even includes the 15-stool Ever Ready Diner, which formerly operated in Providence. This 1926 Worcester Lunch Car is awaiting restoration.
     Morris Nathanson, president of Morris Nathanson Design, Warwick, Rhode Island, whose firm is responsible for the design of the Culinary Archives & Museum, played a part in the diner exhibit by assisting in the acquisition of the Ever Ready. "It was out in the cold too many years," said Mr. Nathanson of the long-suffering local landmark. "We hope to soon restore it to its earlier state."
     "It's really exciting for us, having designed so many diners, to be involved with this wonderful diner exhibit," he noted.
     Richard J. S. Gutman is the leading authority on the history of diners. He received a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University in 1972 with a thesis on the evolution of diner architecture as an example of industrialized building. He has popularized diners through lectures, articles, exhibitions, and the publication of books on the subject, including American Diner (New York: Harper & Row, 1979) and American Diner Then and Now (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000; New York: HarperCollins, 1993.) Richard Gutman has been involved in diner restorations and the building of new diners across the country and abroad. He was restoration architect for diner projects at Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan, and at the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York.