In my perpetual fascination with architecture conversions, the Fotomat still holds a dear place in my heart and I photograph them when ever I can. Like Taco Bell's from the 60's with their stone-like arched brick facades or the blue roof tops of the local I-Hop, Fotomats were very distinctive structures that you could spot from a mile away. They were usually placed in large shopping mall parking lots. You may be looking at this image of "Hartz Flowers" in Danville, California wondering where the structure of the original Fotomat could be. I too would be hard pressed to think it ever began its life as a Fotomat, that is if I didn't actually grow up in this town and visit this very Fotomat as a teenager! This Fotomat lived right across the street from my high school, just south of the donut shop we used to hang out at. This is a very rare extension of the traditional Fotomat structure. Completely remodeled and expanded, all that is left of the original s...
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