Diners

by John Baeder

Included here are paintings and descriptions of more than 100 diners from every part of the United States. The artist's own captions introduce each diner - many of which no longer exist - and describe their food specialties, their sometimes quirky histories, and their owners, managers, or patrons. In the first edition 50 paintings were reproduced in color; for this new, revised, and updated edition, there are 69 in color. The artist has selected forty recent paintings to replace earlier works, most of which were shown only in black and white.
New reminiscences, new anecdotes, and new facts accompany the paintings. Written by Baeder in his inimitable, conversational style, these brief texts tell the reader much about diner history, fashions in food and popular architecture, and about the amiable, slightly nutty man who pursues diners obsessively, yet views them with a perception that rivals that of a connoisseur of haute cuisine.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, History

144 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1992

Reviews

[Mike Zickar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great artwork, and great joy! It's important to read works by people who have a real passion for their subject, as we're surrounded by cynicism and sarcasm in today's society. Baeder gets real joy from documenting in all ways (not just through painting) the American diner. Although the American diner isn't my passion (too few vegan options!), I get pleasure in following the paths of someone else's passion.

[Mercurymouth]

By-gone Americana ❤️

[David Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointingly for this Californian, Baeder's book is almost exclusively about prefabricated metal diners on the East Coast, which he renders in photo-realistic paintings and amusing prose. I learned more about his diner compulsion than I did about diners, though. Something of a classic, but it wasn't for me.

[Leonard Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a weird fascination with diners, and I bought this book thinking it was a book of photos of old-school diners. In fact, they're photorealistic paintings. Very odd, but enjoyable.