Modern Architectures of North America

U.S. tourism in Cuba revolved around a mixture of historic sites and places of entertainment and vice

The Hotel Nacional’s location in the city helped connect tourists to the various activities in the city, in many ways reinforcing U.S. conceptions of what one should do while in Havana. These revolved, most broadly, around cultural experiences as well as leisure and entertainment, and most specifically included gambling, racing, staged cultural performances, visits to monuments, watersports, dining, dancing, and in these years especially, drinking. A cursory look at the promotional travel literature shows how Cuba, like countless other destinations, was often reduced to a checklist of things to do and see that naturally reduced the experience to a self-perpetuating, stereotypical image. Havana became known as a popular destination for booking when the the 18th amendment (prohibition) went into effect in 1920. Certain bars in Havana, such as Sloppy Joe's (pictured in the postcard above), became well-known in U.S. popular culture.

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