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New York Public Library Showcases the Automat

A new exhibit now on display at the library teaches people about Automats and how this vending machine created the meal we now formally know as "Lunch".

Yorktown and Somers residents may remember Automats, ok, well perhaps the Baby Boomers do.

Popping up not only in retail stores but also in iconic places such as Horn and Hardart, these machines provided workers  and patrons alike with a fast, made fresh lunch and changed forever how Americans viewed the second meal of the day.

In a recent msnbc.com article, NBC news took a closer look at the history of the Automat, click here to access this video report that showcases the importance of the Automat in everyday American life.

But does your son or daughter have any idea what an Automat is? Can they picture anything other than candy bars being bought from a vending machine?

Well perhaps this summer you can head down to Manhattan and check out the New York City Public Library's exhibit on the Automat, running now through February 2013. 

Not only can you show your kids what they looked like, but there will be other interactive stations, giving people a better understanding of how modern lunch was created.

For more info, visit the library's website by clicking here.

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So who remembers going to the Automat as a kid for lunch? Share your memories in the comments section below!

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Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Mel May 21, 2013 at 10:14 am
I agree. Yet another case of don't fix what's not broken...
kmr303 May 18, 2013 at 11:38 am
First of all, I don't understand why teachers are paying for anything out of pocket when the supplyRead More lists that parents receive at the end of the summer are as long as their arms. Secondly, SOCIETY lets the kids down?!?!? I think the school taxes in Yorktown should be sufficient so that the teachers don't have to pay any out-of-pocket expenses. SOCIETY does not let the kids down, it is those who are in control of the school tax monies who let the kids down. Perhaps the administrators should take salary cuts, or maybe we should even eliminate some of those administrative positions. No teacher should have to pay for supplies out of pocket.