Likely it was made in 1942-ish.
At left, must be made in late 1940s. With Mickey resting on an old skate. The right side sticker showed they became member of RSROA. The look of the couple appeared to be late 1940s because of the zoot suit (Double-breasted suit with cuff at the bottom of his trousers.) The female.. shorter skirt before it became longer in 1950s to become Poole skirts. And both of their hairdos were common of the day.
Old postcard. From clockwise from bottom left: The red part is the Terrace Room (restaurant), The Yellow part was the Rollerdrome. Although a color photo showed differently. Upper left, the swimming pool and pool-house. Upper right was a living room style lounge room. Bottom right was the Terrace Room dinning area. In purple!? Really, almost all purple for those two on the right. They may have changed colors as time went by.
The Rainbow Rollerdrome on the right side of the photo as the Terrace Room on the left. you can see how modern looking for 1936! They were advanced in architectural design! Really advanced! Very modern. About 45 years ahead of time. Really good sharp photograph I have to add makes it look like it was taken very recently. Something spooky I have to say. Its not grainy at all! The rink section brick wall might be either Washed Brick White or Washed Brick Yellow. But for sure the right side where the Terrace Room is, they are Red Bricks Red colors. See the window details. Not common back in 1930s/40s. Looks very 1990s. See the arch? That is a Segmental Arch.
Another sticker on the left. Right is a typical Rainbow Lake Rollerdrome admission one ticket (number 103769.) We sure need that sticker on the left for today's world! Right? It means skating is a fitness, not recreation!
Rock-n-Roller Elvis Presley rocked the house with his girlfriend in this photo taken at the rink. Elvis frequently went skating at the Rainbow Lake Rollerdrome.
Rainbow Lake Rollerdrome Rainbow Lake Complex 2895 Lamar Avenue, Memphis, TN
This roller rink called Rainbow Lake Rollerdrome was part of the Rainbow Lake Complex at 2895 Lamar Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. They had more than just a roller rink. They had a swimming pool as well as a restaurant called, The Terrace Room. It was a large recreation complex.
The complex began in 1936 by the (Leo) Pieraccini Family with the restaurant, The Terrace Room and a swimming pool but not the roller skating rink until 1942. The family also operated Clearpool, another swimming pool place in Memphis. They were operating a few places.
Since the Rainbow Terrace, the same place with the Rainbow Lake complex with the restaurant, it was drawing adult crowds and this brought the wrong idea to people. They often received trouble with drunk sailors from Millington and so they often had fights, robberies, and even causing fires. So, because of this, the restaurant often lost their liquor license. That hurt business. This is something I hear often with rinks, bars, and other restaurants as well as drive-ins when there are drunk people, or drawing fights, gangs, whatsoever and it does can affect businesses.
In fact, in1947, it made all the newspapers headlines locally and perhaps nationally when there were more than two dozen sailors from the nearby base called, Naval Air Station at Millington started to staged a bottle-throwing, drunk-punching, free-for-all with a group of civilians. It finally took a Naval Court of Inquiry to sort out all the mess and clear most of the charges. Was this how Hollywood got idea for movies? You see that all the time in movies because of this. This was real, everyone!
The last straw was this in 1957-- Hosted by two most famous disk jockeys, Wink Martindale and Dewey Phillips throwing a rock-and-roll dance party in the Rainbow’s famous Terrace Room — and the hosts lost control when dozens of the kids (Yes, some of them were just 15 years old teenagers), got rip-roaring drunk. Rainbow lost its beer license after that.
Back the day, no ID check at the door at the time. This must be a turning point for many bars and clubs after that. This time, the Terrace Room lost their license for good and this is why they attempted to converted to a resort failed and were forced to sell after loss of revenues. Of course, your entertainment business and hospitality businesses are more likely be successful if you serve alcoholic beverages. I disagree. Anyway.
Because of this, the family thought in 1958 to plan to convert this entertainment complex into a private resort and add 40 unit luxury hotel on the same site. It never materialize. Then they sold the complex instead. They sold it to Rainbow Lake Country Club which shut down the roller rink.
During the 1960s, most of the buildings were sold to the Memphis AFL-CIO Building Association for $700,000. They turned the Terrace Room into meeting space, and converted the roller rink into offices. The swimming pool was filled up with trash.
But in 1975, a major fire caused more than $300,000 damage to the facility and a few years later, the association went bankrupt. In 1981, Pancho's bought the site for its headquarters. They were there only a few years before moving out. Finally, the decaying buildings were all demolished. Today there is an apartment complex and an Aldi built on site.
So the skating rink ran from 1942 to 1958.
Yes, you saw that! Elvis Presley, the King of Rock-n-Roll frequently attend skating (maybe he may have played a band) at the Rollerdrome. (now you can to YouTube and listen to his music in a video or search for his songs on your phone, stereo, whatever you have. Now that was cool! Of course, this rink was in his hometown.
Leo Pieraccini also owned and operated Skateland Summer. He opened that one up in 1955 just in time when Rainbow Rollerdrome was about to be closed. That rink on Old Summer Ave ran well until 2006!
The Interior.
Very neat interior for the rink. Very interesting design for the trusses, beams, posts.. As if they were trying to be stylish. Very modern on the outside but interesting and different interior. All wooden floor throughout the rink building. On and off rink. The only thing that divided was the iron cast rails around the rink. Even arched the rails. I love the beams, posts, and trusses because they look very unique in this rink compared I have seen so far. I even love the way they had arches to support the truss on the posts/columns on the edge of the rink. It was open span.
The windows at the end of the rink helped some light in a pretty dimmed place with small windows on the side. this appeared to be taken toward the rear of the building because of the the windows on the right would be on the right side and the Terrace Room Restaurant on the left. Looks like the photographer walked in straight a few steps and set up his camera on tripod and took that photograph.
The Exterior.
You can see how modern looking for 1936! They were advanced in architectural design! Really advanced! Very modern. About 45 years ahead of time. Really good sharp photograph I have to add makes it look like it was taken very recently. Something spooky I have to say. Its not grainy at all! Did a modern photographer did a time slip to the past and took that picture and came back? Hahah. The rink section brick wall might be either Washed Brick White or Washed Brick Yellow. But for sure the right side where the Terrace Room is, they are Red Bricks Red colors. See the window details. Not common back in 1930s/40s. Looks very 1990s. See the arch? That is a Segmental Arch. The pool house was likely behind the restaurant-rink complex.
Today it sits on an empty lot and Aldi G-store. Behind it are apartment complex where the complex's grounds used to be.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A but said to be a very large rink. Floor: Likely Maple. Floor Layout: Log Cabin.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1936. (Rink added to building in 1942) Demolished: 1975 by a massive fire (likely trash in the filled in swimming pool (my opinion).
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Brick-Walled modern office - like Building.
Roof: Flat, Segmental Arch.
Acres: 14 Acres.
Operated: (Overall)--
Rainbow Lake Complex: 1936 to 1960s.
Rainbow Lake Rollerdrome: 1942 to 1958.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Rainbow Lake Complex: Too many problems causing losing liquor licenses often, harms business, new plans failed, sold.
Rainbow Lake Rollerdrome: Same year as the Complex shut down to renovate into resort, failed to materialize, sold.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Historic- Memphis - history of Memphis, TN; Do it in the Americas; Memphis Flyer - The Rainbow Lake Complex; Google Map; Memphis Magazine; 706 Union Ave - About Elvis and his life like a diary (related to skating, about almost half way down).
Date of issue: 29 March 2021.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.
The complex began in 1936 by the (Leo) Pieraccini Family with the restaurant, The Terrace Room and a swimming pool but not the roller skating rink until 1942. The family also operated Clearpool, another swimming pool place in Memphis. They were operating a few places.
Since the Rainbow Terrace, the same place with the Rainbow Lake complex with the restaurant, it was drawing adult crowds and this brought the wrong idea to people. They often received trouble with drunk sailors from Millington and so they often had fights, robberies, and even causing fires. So, because of this, the restaurant often lost their liquor license. That hurt business. This is something I hear often with rinks, bars, and other restaurants as well as drive-ins when there are drunk people, or drawing fights, gangs, whatsoever and it does can affect businesses.
In fact, in1947, it made all the newspapers headlines locally and perhaps nationally when there were more than two dozen sailors from the nearby base called, Naval Air Station at Millington started to staged a bottle-throwing, drunk-punching, free-for-all with a group of civilians. It finally took a Naval Court of Inquiry to sort out all the mess and clear most of the charges. Was this how Hollywood got idea for movies? You see that all the time in movies because of this. This was real, everyone!
The last straw was this in 1957-- Hosted by two most famous disk jockeys, Wink Martindale and Dewey Phillips throwing a rock-and-roll dance party in the Rainbow’s famous Terrace Room — and the hosts lost control when dozens of the kids (Yes, some of them were just 15 years old teenagers), got rip-roaring drunk. Rainbow lost its beer license after that.
Back the day, no ID check at the door at the time. This must be a turning point for many bars and clubs after that. This time, the Terrace Room lost their license for good and this is why they attempted to converted to a resort failed and were forced to sell after loss of revenues. Of course, your entertainment business and hospitality businesses are more likely be successful if you serve alcoholic beverages. I disagree. Anyway.
Because of this, the family thought in 1958 to plan to convert this entertainment complex into a private resort and add 40 unit luxury hotel on the same site. It never materialize. Then they sold the complex instead. They sold it to Rainbow Lake Country Club which shut down the roller rink.
During the 1960s, most of the buildings were sold to the Memphis AFL-CIO Building Association for $700,000. They turned the Terrace Room into meeting space, and converted the roller rink into offices. The swimming pool was filled up with trash.
But in 1975, a major fire caused more than $300,000 damage to the facility and a few years later, the association went bankrupt. In 1981, Pancho's bought the site for its headquarters. They were there only a few years before moving out. Finally, the decaying buildings were all demolished. Today there is an apartment complex and an Aldi built on site.
So the skating rink ran from 1942 to 1958.
Yes, you saw that! Elvis Presley, the King of Rock-n-Roll frequently attend skating (maybe he may have played a band) at the Rollerdrome. (now you can to YouTube and listen to his music in a video or search for his songs on your phone, stereo, whatever you have. Now that was cool! Of course, this rink was in his hometown.
Leo Pieraccini also owned and operated Skateland Summer. He opened that one up in 1955 just in time when Rainbow Rollerdrome was about to be closed. That rink on Old Summer Ave ran well until 2006!
The Interior.
Very neat interior for the rink. Very interesting design for the trusses, beams, posts.. As if they were trying to be stylish. Very modern on the outside but interesting and different interior. All wooden floor throughout the rink building. On and off rink. The only thing that divided was the iron cast rails around the rink. Even arched the rails. I love the beams, posts, and trusses because they look very unique in this rink compared I have seen so far. I even love the way they had arches to support the truss on the posts/columns on the edge of the rink. It was open span.
The windows at the end of the rink helped some light in a pretty dimmed place with small windows on the side. this appeared to be taken toward the rear of the building because of the the windows on the right would be on the right side and the Terrace Room Restaurant on the left. Looks like the photographer walked in straight a few steps and set up his camera on tripod and took that photograph.
The Exterior.
You can see how modern looking for 1936! They were advanced in architectural design! Really advanced! Very modern. About 45 years ahead of time. Really good sharp photograph I have to add makes it look like it was taken very recently. Something spooky I have to say. Its not grainy at all! Did a modern photographer did a time slip to the past and took that picture and came back? Hahah. The rink section brick wall might be either Washed Brick White or Washed Brick Yellow. But for sure the right side where the Terrace Room is, they are Red Bricks Red colors. See the window details. Not common back in 1930s/40s. Looks very 1990s. See the arch? That is a Segmental Arch. The pool house was likely behind the restaurant-rink complex.
Today it sits on an empty lot and Aldi G-store. Behind it are apartment complex where the complex's grounds used to be.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A but said to be a very large rink. Floor: Likely Maple. Floor Layout: Log Cabin.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1936. (Rink added to building in 1942) Demolished: 1975 by a massive fire (likely trash in the filled in swimming pool (my opinion).
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Brick-Walled modern office - like Building.
Roof: Flat, Segmental Arch.
Acres: 14 Acres.
Operated: (Overall)--
Rainbow Lake Complex: 1936 to 1960s.
Rainbow Lake Rollerdrome: 1942 to 1958.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Rainbow Lake Complex: Too many problems causing losing liquor licenses often, harms business, new plans failed, sold.
Rainbow Lake Rollerdrome: Same year as the Complex shut down to renovate into resort, failed to materialize, sold.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Historic- Memphis - history of Memphis, TN; Do it in the Americas; Memphis Flyer - The Rainbow Lake Complex; Google Map; Memphis Magazine; 706 Union Ave - About Elvis and his life like a diary (related to skating, about almost half way down).
Date of issue: 29 March 2021.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.