Romantic Motor Vu on Route 40 in Craig, Colorado

by John Margolies

This photo taken by the famous photographer John Margolies in 1980 shows the huge orange-screened tower and the ticket counter of the historic Romantic Motor Vu on Route 40 in Craig, Colorado. The Romantic Motor Vu Drive-In theater which was originally established in 1954 as the Sunset Drive-In is an outstanding example of the geometrical shapes, wooden structures, and colors of that era.

As his work is preserved in the Library of Congress, this is an excellent representation of the fading American automobile culture against the backdrop of a clear blue sky.