Beth Lennon, the popular Phoenixville-based travel writer known by her legions of online fans as Mod Betty, has been documenting and celebrating American landmarks for more than a decade, writes Ben Leech for the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation.
Lennon is behind the Retro Roadmap website and travel guides that offer a wealth of information for travelers who like to go off the beaten path.
She is most drawn to the “recent past” and landmarks such as diners and drive-in theaters, places that may have been dismissed as ordinary until recently.
“I started taking photos of these ‘recent past’ places close to 30 years ago, when there were a lot more of them,” she said.
As the years passed, she noticed a growing number of these places were disappearing. In the hopes of slowing down the process, she began seeking out the remaining ones and documenting her visits online, putting herself in the role of a historic preservationist.
“I try to get people aware of, and excited by the historic places that are still alive, not the buildings as skeletons, in the hopes that they will feel connected to them like I have and want to keep them around,” she said.
Read more about Mod Betty from the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation here.
