We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ken MacIntyre. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ken below.

Alright, Ken thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I guess, technically, I had a creative career back in the pre-internet days when I was in art school. I was a photographer and a writer back then. I also worked in a couple of art galleries before transitioning into my career as a motion picture publicist. Working in that type of environment for over 20 years teaches you to be insanely creative, so I’ve taken a lot of what I learned from that career and try to apply it to what I’m doing now. I don’t think I could have been as currently successful without that having that experience.

Ken, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I created Modtraveler.net in 2016 as a resource for architourists and as an outlet to share my love of midcentury modern architecture and design. In order to help promote the website I later turned to Instagram and started @modtraveler where I could also feature more of my own photography on the subject. I incorporated some tricks of the trade from my PR career and now, a few years later, I’m – what some would call – an influencer. Personally, it’s not a label I’m comfortable with, but I’m really happy for the level of interest I’ve been able to generate.

That’s one of the great things about Instagram, there are so many niche groups out there, we all gravitate towards each other. My account keeps growing and now I’m reaching even more people who are interested in knowing about this era; people who want to learn.

There was an abundance of really amazing design happening in the 1950s and ‘60s, from architecture to automobiles and everything in between, different styles and ideas that sprung from the forward-thinking optimism of the Post War era. My focus with @modtraveler has always been to share and inspire and have fun doing it. If I’ve been an influence then that’s a bonus.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

A big part of this journey has been to bring awareness to the midcentury architecture that is being overlooked and being torn down in the name of progress. This is happening all over the world, even in places like Palm Springs, California where preservation has become a movement over the past two decades. So, yeah, that’s been an important mission of @modtraveler and what I’ve been able to achieve through sharing my photography.

The history is important. Every place has a story to tell, and those stories help us understand and appreciate our architectural and cultural heritage. Midcentury modernism was an evolution of our built environment and it was like something out of the future. Nobody could have imagined these kinds of innovative designs twenty years earlier. Well, okay, maybe The Bauhaus and other forward-thinking architects, but in general, what we saw in the Post War years was unlike anything that came before. Why would you willingly allow a developer or homeowner to knock down something that was architecturally and culturally significant?

Being part of an active online community has helped raise the profile of so many midcentury buildings and residences that would have otherwise been forgotten. This community has even been able to help save some buildings and homes that are now considered historic.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Where do I begin? I’ve shared and received so much, it’s a long list.

When I hear from a social media follower about how I’ve opened their eyes to something or inspired them to visit a place specifically for the midcentury architecture, that’s rewarding. Or when I sell a print, or have one of my photographs featured in a national Preservation magazine, that’s rewarding.

But mostly it’s being able to connect with other creatives online in order to support and learn from each other. That’s really rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://modtraveler.net
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/modtraveler
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/modtraveler.net

Image Credits

Ken MacIntyre