Teardrops and Tiny Trailers

by Douglas Keister (Photographer)

Overview

Buckle up as Douglas Keister takes you for a decidedly retro ride in the world of diminutive travel trailers in Teardrops and Tiny Trailers. The demand for vintage trailers-the smaller the better-has risen dramatically in recent years, with the most in-demand trailers being "teardrops," first manufactured in the 1930s and containing just indoor sleeping space and an outdoor exterior kitchen. Also profiled in the book are "canned ham" trailers, whose shape resembles the profile of a can of ham; small-size examples of America's most beloved vintage trailer, the Airstream; miniscule gypsy caravans in Europe; and fiberglass trailers made in Canada. Two hundred color photographs showcase these trailers' sleek exteriors, retro-styled interiors, and, in many cases, the restored classic cars that tow them. Teardrops and Tiny Trailers includes a resource section chock-full of places to locate vintage trailers, clubs to join, and rallies to attend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423602743
Publisher:	Smith, Gibbs Publisher
Publication date:	07/01/2008
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 8.16(h) x 0.86(d)
Age Range:	16 Years

About the Author

Chico, California-based photographer Douglas Keister has photographed twenty-two award-winning, critically acclaimed books. His seventeen books on architecture include four books on Victorian homes (Daughter's of Painted Ladies, Painted Ladies Revisited, America's Painted Ladies and Victorian Glory); three books on bungalow homes (The Bungalow, Inside the Bungalow and Outside the Bungalow), a book on 1920s whimsical homes (Storybook Style) a book about cemetery art and architecture (Going Out in Style), a book on Spanish architecture, (Red Tile Style), six books on bungalow details and Classic Cottages, that will be published by Gibbs Smith Publisher in the Spring of 2004. Keister photographed and wrote an award winning children's book (Fernando's Gift), has two monographs of his personal work (Black Rock and Driftwood Whimsy), a book on classic travel trailers, (Ready to Roll) and a book on cemetery symbolism, Stories in Stone: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Cemetery Symbolism, that will be published by Gibbs Smith Publisher in the Spring of 2004. His wealth of books on architecture has earned him the title, "America's most noted photographer of historic architecture."

Read an Excerpt

Whether traveling in a tiny teardrop trailer or a diesel-belching lumbering leviathan, RVers have discovered that there is much to be said for living life in the slow lane. Buckle up and enjoy the visual feast in the pages that follow. You'll find that bigger is not always better, and being able to take along a tidy little home on wheel so pens up a whole new way of seeing the country.

Table of Contents

7 INTRODUCTION: THE ROAD

14 TEARDROP TRAILERS

60 CANNED HAM TRAILERS

110 GLASS HOUSES

122 SILVER GEMS

144 OVER THERE AND ELSEWHERE

159 RESOURCE

Editorial Reviews

Take a retro ride through the '30s and '50s with this picture book that focuses on teardrops and other vintage trailers, often shown with period vehicles."

Arizona Republic

Gasp at their gumption; admire their ingenuity. It takes a special breed of travel aficionado for ''Teardrops and Tiny Trailers.'' Popular during the 1940s and '50s, these vintage tow-alongs are specialty items: kicky to restore and decorate, impractical to maintain. A new hardcover by Douglas Keister offers a colorful peek inside."

Birmingham News

It's a fun book, and clear that tiny trailers are nothing less than portable personalities."

Chico Enterprise-Record

Virtually every page is colorfully illustrated with historic teardrops and, notably, the interesting vehicles used to tow them. His text is not without its charms as well. Mr. Keister throws in interesting little facts with each section. He notes, for instance, that the shiny aluminum Airstream-style trailers had their origins in aircraft design. Like these little trailers, he packs a lot of content in a compact package. And like the teardrops, the book is a little gem."

New York Times

COMFORTS OF HOME Tent or trailer? Since the invention of the automobile, many drivers have opted for the latter, hauling household luxuries with them on the road.

Do-it-yourselfers crafted their own camp trailers in the early 1900s, but by the ’20s and ’30s commercial trailers took off and companies marketed their attachments as portable homes to those who didn’t want to rough it in the wilderness. Teardrop trailers were a popular and affordable choice for families, and many built their own from kits.

When household gadgets like the microwave and refrigerator transformed the American home, trailers expanded to accommodate such conveniences. Large motor homes like the Winnebago began to dominate the trailer market, and compact campers became a thing of the past.

These days the teardrop trailer is making a comeback as more and more people seek to offset high gas prices with a lighter load. Those who love the mini campers can even rent one from a variety of companies across the country.

Want to learn more? Find Teardrops and Tiny Trailers, by Douglas Keister, at a local bookstore

Reminisce/Reminisce Extra - Leah Wynalek Wynalek