Teardrop Trailers

Originally built with surplus aluminum (from WWII plane wings) and a 4' by 8' piece of plywood, the teardrop trailer is light, small and easy to tow. They gained popularity during the 1940's, as G.I.'s, returning from the war, wanted an easy and inexpensive way travel America. A teardrop trailer has a main sleeping quarters with either a full or a queen size bed and an external kitchen with a stove and a cooler (as pictured above). Their light and minimalist design allowed for a relatively inexperienced driver with a small car safely to tow a teardrop on single lane roads.

As cars' horsepower increased and the quality of roads improved, the teardrop trailer gave way to larger, heavier trailers like the Airstream, limiting their reign as king of the road to just two decades.

Today Teardrop Trailers are the prized possesions of forties and fifties car enthusiasts, who make the car show circuit in proper 1950's style. I saw my first Teardop over ten years ago at a car show in Portland Oregon. Their inherent minimalism and liberating ability captured my imagination.

Few things are more appealing than letting out to the territories with the hope of finding adventure and greener pasture. A "tent on wheels," as teardrop trailers are often called, would be awesome way to see the world and a great addition to any restless lifestyle.

These photos are of a Sundance Teardrop Trailer available through the Sundance Catalog for $24,000. They come complete with a Colemen stove and cooler, Formica counter tops, maple cabinets and efficient LED lighting.

If you are sufficiently inspired, here is a how to video for building a Teardrop Trailer.

Classic circa 1950's kitchen complete with Coleman camping gear. I imagine that plenty of babies were boomed in small living quarters of teardrops in the decade following WWII. Teardrop trailers democratized travel and enabled 20th century manifest destiny; they are American as Apple Pie.

Here are some more links,
AZteardrops.com Gallery
Teardrops.net Classifieds
TomSweson Teardrop Project

Photography Portfolio

Here is my Photography Portfolio. Please comment or send me an email at foster.huntington(at)gmail.com.

African Safari

I have mixed feelings about African safaris. The idea of leaving urban areas behind and experiencing nature has and will always appeal to me. I spend far too much time connected to the Internet through my laptop, Xbox, and Blackberry and the allure of an idealized rustic experience, like a safari, is very compelling.

However, along with the rustic experiences come many of the negative connotations associated with European Colonialism in Africa, specifically gluttony, racial superiority, and entitlement. Even a safari's documentation conveys the West’s inherent feeling of entitlement. Why is it considered cultured and anthropological to show “Native’s breasts” on TV or in National Geographic but degenerate to show a white or black American's boobs? In some twisted way, writing about the problems with Safaris makes them even more romantic. Here are some photos gleaned from my hours perusing the Life Archive that embody the iconic African Safari including the staples: Landrover Defender, binoculars, high-socks-short-shorts, side-by-side shotguns, scoped hunting rifles, Safari Helmets, cigars, and of course, nude natives.

This guy is hunting more than just the local animals.

You know these trackers did all of the work. Check out his Desert Boots.

The Landrover Defender is an essential part of the African Safari.

Gold inlay and short shorts.

The Prize.

Trip to Ann Arbor

For the last three days I have been in Ann Arbor spending time with my grandmother, Trudy Huntington, a retired professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. Thanks to Google's digitization of the University's books, a slew of her writings on the Amish, Mennonites and other religious groups are available here. Now I am off to the NYC area for an interview with Young & Rubicam on Monday.

Here is my grandmother's house, a ten minute walk from UM's campus and stone's throw from multiple fraternities and sororities.

Here is a picture of my grandmother near the entrance to the University of Michigan Nicholas Arboretum, affectionately known as the Arb.

Here is a photo of me using my grandmother's old Pentax slr and her using my Canon. If you look closely you can see her reflection in my sunglasses.

My grandmother and I ate at Zimmerman's, a Ann Arbor institution and restaurant straight out Stuff White People Like # 63: Expensive Sandwiches.

I am a pyromaniac so I can never take enough pictures of fire.