John Margolies

John Samuel Margolies (May 16, 1940 – May 26, 2016) was an American architectural critic, photographer, and author who was noted for celebrating vernacular and novelty architecture in the United States, particularly those designed as roadside attractions. Starting from the mid-1970s, he began to photograph sites during long road trips, since he was concerned these sites would be displaced by the growing modernist trend. He was credited with shaping postmodern architecture and recognizing buildings that would be added to the National Register of Historic Places through his documentary work. Starting in 2007, the Library of Congress began to acquire his photographs, and created the public domain John Margolies Roadside America Photograph Archive in 2016, consisting of 11,710 scans of his color slides.

Early life John Samuel Margolies was born on May 16, 1940, in New Canaan, Connecticut, the son of Asher and Ethel (née Polacheck). Margolies studied at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a bachelor's degree in art history and journalism, and a master's degree in communications.

Career In Andy Warhol's 1965 film Camp, Margolies makes a cameo appearance as Mar-Mar. In the early part of his career, Margolies promoted Warhol's work, which included an essay in Art in America to support Underground Sundae (1968).

Margolies began to photograph novelty architecture in 1972, concerned that these sights were starting to disappear. Margolies was funded through grants and fellowships through the National Endowment for the Arts, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Alicia Patterson Foundation, and architect Philip Johnson. That year, Margolies also published his first book of photographs, entitled The End of the Road, referring to the vanishing roadside architecture of the United States. The Library of Congress credits Margolies with shaping the postmodernist movement, and digitized his work in 2016, making it available as public domain.

The photographs distinctively omit people and are taken in full sunlight with clear skies, a deliberate choice to reduce visual distraction. Margolies used slow slide film (likely Kodachrome) with a 50mm "normal" lens. maps, and other travel ephemera.

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