Valentine Diner, New Mexico Poster

"Valentine Diner, New Mexico" by Catherine Sherman. A Valentine Diner is among the artifacts at an automobile museum on the road to Taos, New Mexico. The museum includes the rusted and busted as well as mint condition items. According to the Kansas Historical Society, Valentine Diners began their nearly 40-year career in Wichita, an idea born of the Great Depression. The diners were constructed as eight-to-ten-seat diners that one or two people could operate. In an industry where nearly all major diner manufacturers were on the East Coast, the Kansas creation managed to ship its little pre-fabs all across the country. Valentines could be found along major highways to attract travelers. These diners were manufactured in Wichita from the late 1930s into the mid-1970s. Sales of the buildings expanded nationwide, and soon Valentines were all over the United States. Many are still exist in the United States, often transformed into other types of businesses such as a car sales office or beauty salon.