Dick Gutman, DINERMAN

The iconic diner has always been more than just a place for hot coffee, counter stools and streamlined chrome accents. For more than half a century, no one has been more immersed in the origins, design and operation of diners in America than Richard J.S. Gutman.

His enthusiastic passion for the diner experience, and his desire to collect and photograph, led to this new exhibit at Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation — Dick Gutman, DINERMAN. The culmination of his life’s work is an eclectic assortment of more than 1,000 artifacts, including memorabilia, scale models, furniture, fragments and a photographic history of diners through time. The exhibit showcases the history of diner architecture and design in the United States and honors the preservation that keeps diners relevant today.

This exhibit was curated by Kristen Gallerneaux and Marc Greuther of The Henry Ford and is on display for the first time in the museum’s Collections Gallery starting May 25, 2024. Step back into the legacy of over 150 years of American diner culture — the counter stool is waiting for you.

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