The Enormously Popular and Unbelievable Mid-Century Rally
Since Rich appears to be getting excited about the Palm Springs Modernism Week I figure it’s fair to give Denver’s a plug. This past August, the 4th Denver Modernism show put mid-century art, furniture, technology, cars, and YES, Airstreams on display at the National Western Stock Show Expo Hall. I know, Denver is still considered a backwater cow town by both East and West Coast crowds, but we had lots of fun and if you weren’t there, you didn’t. Boohoo for you!
Vintage Airstream Club members were invited to this event in 2008 and I believe this was the first time Airstreams were included as exhibitors at any modernism show in the country. So, cow town or not, we made a little bit of history.
Unlike Palm Springs though, new Airstreams with a retro design are welcome. Airstream trailer collectors, Chris Hildenbrand and Jim Lane (oh, yeah, Airstreams are collectibles now), brought both a 1978 Tradewind and a 2006 Bambi Quicksilver hitched to their 1969 Cadillac (at one time they owned six Airstreams, but are now down to only five). Second generation Airstreamers, Randy & Margie Leitner, brought their 1964 Globe Trotter. Although I was present, my 1965 Globe Trotter wasn’t. It needs me to finish putting it back together. Oh well, there’s next year and I’m looking forward to it.
One nearby vendor at the show, Silver Stream Productions, rents their 1959 remodeled Overlander out as a mobile office, dressing room, and/or advertising prop.
It was great fun. We were well received and hundreds of people looked at the trailers and asked questions. Yes, the most common question was, “Do they still make these?” We had fun watching people’s surprise when we told them the Globe Trotter wasn’t new, but that the Bambi was. As in past shows, there were belly dancers, comedians, slide shows, an open bar on the first night, and on Sunday a car show. Fellow Airstreamer, Harry Truitt, entered his bright yellow hot rod in the competition.
The Modernism Show is a great promotion and just gets better every year. So, give it some thought and make a note on your calendar, August 27th (Friday) through the 29th (Sunday), 2010. I’ll be the Airstream “point person” again. Email me at: a
I want to thank the show’s promoter, Dana Cain, for making the show possible. This year she really took care of us. 2008 was a bit of a challenge getting our rigs into and out of the Expo Hall, but it was ‘pull-through’ easy this time. Read about Dana at http://www.danacain.com/ . The show’s website is at: http://www.denvermodernism.com/
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