Bowling Vernacular

I will humbly introduce this long over due post as a nostalgic reflection of a by gone era, one that can be represented and modernized to encompass both bowling’s glory days and it’s future. An example of this here in Los Angeles is Lucky Strike in Hollywood. Yet for the majority of the bowling alleys across the country their fate is being turned into dated the moment they are remodeled multi-colored monstrosities as opposed to the classic forms of Mid-Century architecture that many represent.

The popularity of bowling became a great anomaly to me when I realized its scope. On a trip to West Texas, the one thing that struck me above anything is that, no matter how small the town was - 2,000 or 10,000 - every town had a bowling alley. The towns I was in in West Texas, Snyder, Graham, among many all had a bowling alleys. Snyder, Texas; a town of about 10,000 people was located in a dry country, which means that you can not buy booze at any store within the county line (we would have to drive about 20 or so miles out of town to Colorado City to buy beer in bulk) so in a town without much else to do, bowling was an obvious outlet, especially, I imagine, when the alley first came to the town.

I thought this was an American small town thing though. Obviously being part of cities too but for the most part cities have everything so I made a distinction until I went to Sweden and found out it was not just an American small town thing. My Father moved to Sweden years ago and on my third visit he had moved into a town (that when I tell people from Sweden I have been there they always reply, “Why?”) called Karlstad. Karlstad is the last “city” that is as far north before you get into the crazy gnome people villages of the “sticks“. Karlstad although it was a city, was a small town in comparison to other metropolitan areas in Sweden, mainly because of it’s location, and guess what they had, a bowling alley!

Interesting side note, people in Sweden don’t bowl the same way as we Americans do. For example, my friend Tommy and I along with my Dad would cheer for one another, get into the experience. Our Swedish neighbors would bowl down the lanes as if they were all just lobotomized, neither cheering or showing any form joy (that is because of the lack of competition Sweden’s socialist government promotes but that is another story.)

The long winded point I am attempting to make here is that small town and or big city, bowling has somehow woven itself into the fabric of our culture. An institution of recreation when there is nothing else to do. Some claim that bowling originated in primitive cultures that date back to the Egyptians which may mean bowling is part of our instinct… or something.

Although bowling appeared in many forms throughout the ages, in a America it’s popularity hit its peak in the Mid-Century period between the 40s and 60s. Many of the alleys built during this “golden age of bowling” are some of the best representations of modernism, many of which are classic in their form. I tend to find, especially here in Southern California, many buildings in which the exterior and signs are intact but the interiors are all this strange horrible mix of random bright colors. I know that taste change with time but I look at this era not only with romanticism but with Mid-Century modernism now being included along with styles like Victorian, Craftsman, Art Deco, to name a few, as classic forms of architectural styles, it is important to preserve what we have left and to at least appreciate the most representative forms of this style that are meant for public consumption. I took these pictures not only to document, but in some cases to encompass the artistry of some of these designs, sometimes, sadly, in their decay. Some may seem dated but it is important to realize that hip places like The Standard for example riff on the designs of this period and serve it on a plate as new, and if these establishments were handled with care and restored to their original greatness, we would be able to truly see the beauty they may hold as opposed to imagining them as they were.

I can answer any questions about the locations of the alleys, all of which I think are located here in Los Angeles County.

P.S. Corbin Bowl, in Tarzana, has the most amazing unironic Karaoke night of all time. I have only been there twice but each time was literally mind blowing and even the best writing could not even begin to touch on how unbelievable it truly was. Dig if you must.