This is an essentially generic Holiday Inn card, used by establishments throughout the chain, to promote their own location and their affiliation with the automated reservation service.
Curteich Color 3-D Natural Color Reproduction
The description on the back states:
HOLDAY INN
SEEKONK, MASS.
Rt. 6 off Int 195
Ph: 336-6600 — AC: 617
Air-conditioned — Restaurant
Swimming Pool
Free TV – Free Holidex Reservations
–The Holidex system allowed travelers to reserve a room at a Holiday Inn before leaving on their journey to assure accommodations upon arrival in their destination. It was the first of its kind for motels and very successful.
The figure is often assumed to be Ben Franklin, but has been identified instead as a generic 18th Century gentleman innkeeper.
There appears to be an error in the design. In the sign, just below the panel reading “The Nation’s Innkeeper” can be seen some brown and white panel sections, which are clearly not part of the sign structure. These look to be an illustration of a building behind the sign, which is not present anywhere else on the card. It is possible the original, full illustration showed a sign and a building, but the later design removed the building from either side of the sign, leaving only the fragment in the gap above the flower beds.
This image likely dates from the 1960s.
