About RETROMAHA
Hi, I’m Ryan, the designer and owner behind RETROMAHA.
I grew up less than an hour from Omaha and came here a lot as a kid and teenager. In 1990, I moved here for Creighton and stayed. I helped start SLAM OMAHA, the local music and art website, and spent plenty of time at the 49’r and Dirt Cheap.
I proposed to my wife, Katy, at Anthony’s Steakhouse. So some of these designs are pretty personal. Others are places I wish I’d gotten to see.
How the designs happen
I started RETROMAHA in 2020. I’m a web and graphic designer, and I do the research and design work here in Omaha. Printing partners around the country print and ship the orders.
I work from old photos, newspaper ads, matchbooks, menus and signs. Sometimes there’s a decent logo to start with. Sometimes it’s a blurry photo and a lot of squinting.
The designs cover Omaha, Lincoln and Council Bluffs. I try to get the details right, whether it’s a place everybody remembers or one that only a handful of people recognize.
ANOTHER OMAHA PROJECT OF MINE
If you’re into RETROMAHA, you might like this.
I also made THRIFTOMAHA—a map of Omaha thrift and vintage shops. More places to find the stuff you remember.
Explore THRIFTOMAHA (opens in a new tab)
What am I missing?
Have a place you’d like to see here? Send it my way. Old photos, ads, menus, matchbooks and whatever you remember all help.