Long ago, before snapping selfies with friends was a thing, revelers took something else to remember a night on the town. Matchbooks, cocktail napkins and swizzle sticks were pocketed as guide pegs to recall all the stops made during a rollicking evening. (Bonus points if the phone number of that person you locked eyes with across the bar was scribbled on a napkin or matchbook.) The striking artwork on these complimentary tchotchkes made for memorable keepsakes and created countless inadvertent matchbook collectors, formally known as phillumenists. The inexpensive, mass-produced swag debuted in the Midwest in 1894 and, in the case of several of the classic Valley pieces featured below, often survives long after the establishment has served up its final Jack and Coke.
Avalon Club
From the end of Prohibition in 1933 until it was rebranded as the Covered Wagon in 1951, this club at 28 S. Central Ave. in Phoenix was a happening place. Entertainment included orchestras, a “Dancing Contest” for “Girls over 21,” and, for those in the know, illicit poker games.
Western Village Motor Hotel
This trail stop on U.S. Highway 60/70/89 opened in 1951 at 1601 Grand Ave. and was billed as “The West’s Most Western Hotel.” Jim Daley served as the “Corral Boss” at its Trails End Bar and Café. A fire destroyed the motel in 1990.
The Islands
Trade winds blew through Phoenix in 1958, bringing mainlanders to this South Pacific outpost at 4839 N. Seventh St. They often left the Polynesian palace clutching tiki souvenirs until the restaurant closed in the late 1970s.
The Playboy Club
The Swinging ’60s started locally in 1962 when the nation’s sixth Playboy Club opened atop the eight-story Mayer Central Building at 3033 N. Central Ave. A fluffle of Bunnies entertained club members until it closed in 1983.
JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
This resort opened in 1936, touting its location “on the sun-drenched desert 11 miles from Phoenix.” It’s the favorite of J. Willard “Bill” Marriott Jr., the chain’s executive chairman, who celebrates his birthday there each spring.
Carnival Room
In 1957, host Edie Baile opened this nightclub at 1635 E. Indian School Rd. with a show starring Mitzi Meade, “The Atomic Comic,” and the “Beautiful and Exotic” Taffy O’Neil. The club closed after a mysterious fire in 1964.
Branding Iron Bar
Mike and Gus Pascal debuted their nightspot at 2303 E. Indian School Rd. in 1952, touting its “BI Brand” mixed drinks. The bar’s staff made the newspapers with their talented bowling team and dispensed cocktails through the 1960s.
