Scott's Hotel & Casino in Deposit, New York

by John Margolies

Taken by the distinguished architectural photographer John Margolies in 1976, this atmospheric photograph captures the recreation hall and snack bar at Scott’s Casino, part of the renowned Scott’s Oquaga Lake House Resort in Deposit, New York. This photograph illustrates the nostalgia associated with the hospitality of mid-century Upstate New York. All the typical elements of American architecture dedicated to leisure time are captured with utmost care in this colored photograph: ping pong tables set on a hardwood floor, a dark wood upright piano, glowing glass lamps, a Coca-Cola soda vending machine, and an illuminated service bar sign reading “Dairylea Ice Cream.”

This image is from the John Margolies Roadside America Photograph Archive held by the Library of Congress, which is of significant historical value for the collectors of roadside vernacular architecture, Catskills/Borscht Belt resorts, and 1970’s interior designs.