Vian’s Part 6

The 1957 Lorain Telephone Company directory was the first edition to carry an ad (shown above) for the new motel that was part of the Vian restaurant and cabin/cottage property.

A few black and white postcards apparently date from this early era of the motel. The front of this postcard (below) still shows the now familiar cabin area with the low white wall, but the back of the card describes Vian’s On the Lake as “Finest Motel, Cottages and Restaurant, facing beautiful Lake Erie."

This postcard (below) has a similar mail panel side, which mentions the motel but doesn't show it.

The ad below – which ran in the 1959 Brookside High School yearbook – reveals the motel's name: N and N Motel. The photo also shows the early version of the unique sign.

By 1961, Vian’s ads in the Lorain Telephone Company directory included an attractive rendering of the motel (below). 

The listing in the 1961 white pages included all of the Vian enterprises, including the restaurant, the motel & cabins, and the real estate business.

1961 Lorain Telephone Company directory listing

Nicholas Vian also promoted his motel through a series of color postcards (below). You can see how the design of the postcards evolved, with minor tweaks to the photo layout in order to spotlight some of the motel’s amenities.

Courtesy www.cardcow.com

This card (purchased on Ebay) was postmarked 1968

The backs of these two postcards featuring photos of family members
listed Mr. and Mrs. Izold as Managers

Next: More of the 1960s