Smoky Mountain Modern: The Architecture of Hubert Bebb by Greg Case tells the story of the architect who reshaped the visual identity of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, at the height of America’s postwar travel boom. As millions of visitors passed through the gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, few realized that the motels, restaurants, and roadside landmarks they experienced were the work of a single modernist vision.

In 1950, architect Hubert Bebb moved from Illinois to Gatlinburg as tourism surged and demand for accommodations soared. Over the next three decades, Bebb and the designers he influenced nearly transformed the town’s built environment, introducing a bold mid-century modern style inspired by the surrounding mountains. His work became inseparable from the visitor experience, even as his name remained largely unknown.

This book celebrates Bebb’s legacy through an engaging and accessible lens, the mid-twentieth-century postcard. Once a popular form of quick communication, postcards now serve here as vivid historical records, capturing Bebb’s architecture as travelers first encountered it. The result is a visual road trip through a pivotal era of American travel and design.

Compact, affordable, and richly illustrated, Smoky Mountain Modern is a tribute to an overlooked master of mid-century architecture. It will appeal to architecture enthusiasts, preservationists, and anyone drawn to the history of American roadside culture and modern design.

Product Details

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Publisher: Warren Publishing, Inc.
• Publication Date: January 16, 2024
• Print Length: 76 pages
• ISBN-10: 1960146890
• ISBN-13: 978-1960146892
• Item Weight: 1.19 lbs
• Dimensions: 11 x 0.31 x 8.5 inches