WAR IN IRAQ

WAR IN IRAQ

Monday, October 14, 2013

NOSTALGIA: MOTORING ACROSS OLD AMERICA

 

MOTORING ACROSS OLD AMERICA

 

This rare 1928 Mercedes, unearthed after 60 years sitting in a garage without seeing the light of day, is expected to sell for a staggering £1.5million at auction.

Described as the supercar of its generation, the 'S' Type model was one of the world's fastest vehicles when it rolled off the production line in 1928, easily reaching speeds in excess of 100mph.

And it’s Ferdinand Porsche designed engine and hand crafted chassis made it one of the earliest luxury sports cars ever mass produced. Incredibly despite having been locked away since the 1950s, it still runs perfectly.

Rare find: The unrestored 1928 Mercedes S Type was unearthed after 60 years sitting in a garage

Rare find: The unrestored 1928 Mercedes S Type was unearthed after 60 years sitting in a garage

Nippy: The S-Type model was one of the world's fastest cars when it rolled off the production line in 1928 easily reaching speeds of 100mph

Nippy: The S-Type model was one of the world's fastest cars when it rolled off the production line in 1928 easily reaching speeds of 100mph

It has been owned by the same family from new and experts have hailed the discovery one of the most considerable automotive finds, with unrestored cars of its type extremely rare.

The cobweb clad car - first registered on the roads in May 1928 - is set to go under the hammer at Bonhams’ Goodwood Revival sale on September 15.

Automotive expert, Rupert Banner, said: 'At a time when motor cars in original condition and with impeccable provenance are appreciated more than ever, this one-owner car offers an unrepeatable opportunity for collectors.

Upholstery: The car's untouched interior. It is now going under the hammer at Bonhams' Goodwood Revival sale on September 15

Upholstery: The car's untouched interior. It is now going under the hammer at Bonhams' Goodwood Revival sale on September 15

Find: Experts have hailed the discovery one of the most considerable automotive finds with unrestored cars of this type extremely rare

Find: Experts have hailed the discovery one of the most considerable automotive finds with unrestored cars of this type extremely rare

'It has literally been off the radar. No one knew such an untouched and archaic this old existed. It is an incredible find.'

The unidentified owners grandfather - a pioneering British motorist - was one of the earliest buyers of the Mercedes ‘S’ Type, which sparked mass production due to its popularity.

And according to the cars unworn handbook, it was sold under the order number 38130 and bought from The British Mercedes Ltd in London.

Detail: The unidentified owners grandfather - a pioneering British motorist - was one of the earliest buyers of the Mercedes 'S' Type, which sparked mass production due to its popularity

Detail: The unidentified owners grandfather - a pioneering British motorist - was one of the earliest buyers of the Mercedes 'S' Type, which sparked mass production due to its popularity

The motors dark battleship grey bodywork was crafted by London-based coachbuilders Cadogan Motors.

Described as a time warp, the convertibles original blue upholstery is still intact.

The car re-established Mercedes’ reputation for building fast, luxurious and high quality motorcars.

Serial number: According to the cars unworn handbook, it was sold under the order number 38130 and bought from The British Mercedes Ltd in London

Serial number: According to the cars unworn handbook, it was sold under the order number 38130 and bought from The British Mercedes Ltd in London

Built to last: Incredibly despite havign sat in a garagefor 60 years the Mercedes still runs perfectly

Built to last: Incredibly despite having sat in a garage for 60 years the Mercedes still runs perfectly

A spokesman for Bonhams said: 'This newly discovered 1928 Mercedes-Benz 'S' Type Sports Tourer is almost without precedent.

'Motor cars of this type and age have rarely been in the same family ownership from new.

'It is expected to sell for more than £1.5m.

 

Wrapped around a tree, nose down in a ditch and dangling precariously over water.

Fascinating photos from the 1920s and 30s show the dramatic and tragic side effect of the golden age of American motoring.

The pictures were taken in and around Boston, Massachusetts by Leslie Jones, who was staff photographer at the Boston-Herald Traveler newspaper from 1917 to 1956.

Mr Jones captured everything that happened in the city for five decades and when he died in 1967, his family donated a vast collection of 34,000 prints to the Boston Public Library.

They included these fascinating photos of vintage car wrecks from the great motoring boom.

Motor cars became affordable to the masses for the first time in the 1920s. By the end of the decade a Model T Ford cost $298, just a fraction of the $1,200 it cost in 1909.

The introduction of hire purchase also made it much easier for members of the public to buy cars, and by 1929, 20 per cent of Americans were on the road.

Ford, Chrysler and General Motors were all competing for the boom in business and by the time the depression hit in 1929, Ford was producing more than one car every minute.

Technology meant these early cars were capable of achieving speeds of up to 50 miles per hour - but safety measures were nowhere near as advanced as they are today.

Add in the fact drivers didn't need to pass a test before they got behind the wheel, and it's easy to see why accidents were frequent and often spectacular.

Officers examine a car that has wrapped itself around a tree, spilling its interiors onto the street in Boston in 1933

Officers examine a car that has wrapped itself around a tree, spilling its interiors onto the street in Boston in 1933

Passersby try to figure out how this car ended up nose-down in a trench in Boston's West End. A glance at the rough, dirt-covered road provides a clue

Passersby try to figure out how this car ended up nose-down in a trench in Boston's West End. A glance at the rough, dirt-covered road provides a clue

The scene of an accident in 1935. Information with the photo reveals a car stolen by joyriding children crashed into a lawyer's car, killing him

The scene of an accident in 1935. Information with the photo reveals a car stolen by joyriding children crashed into a lawyer's car, killing him

Giving a rare glimpse of the day's fashion, a group of men look over a crumpled car that sits by the side of a residential Boston street

Giving a rare glimpse of the day's fashion, a group of men look over a crumpled car that sits by the side of a residential Boston street

Crowds pose for photographer Leslie Jones alongside a mangled and burnt out wreck in Boston in 1933

Crowds pose for photographer Leslie Jones alongside a mangled and burnt out wreck in Boston in 1933

A police officer poses next to a car that flipped over manoevring around corner in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1935.

A police officer poses next to a car that flipped over manoevring around corner in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1935.

This truck stood no chance when it came into contact with a tree on a rural Mass. road, disintegrating on impact - leaving just the steering wheel intact.

This truck stood no chance when it came into contact with a tree on a rural Mass. road, disintegrating on impact - leaving just the steering wheel intact.

A fireboat struggles to haul a car out of the Fore River in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1933. They succeeded, but couldn't save the three passengers, who drowned

A fireboat struggles to haul a car out of the Fore River in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1933. They succeeded, but couldn't save the three passengers, who drowned

This car came out loser in a battle of wills with a trolley bus on Boston's South End in 1932

This car came out loser in a battle of wills with a trolley bus on Boston's South End in 1932

Children peer out of the undergrowth as photographer Leslie Jones captures a nasty wreck smoulding by the side of the road in Hingham

Children peer out of the undergrowth as photographer Leslie Jones captures a nasty wreck smoulding by the side of the road in Hingham

Crowds watch in awe as a car is winched out of the Charles River in Cambridge, Mass. close to the Harvard University campus

Crowds watch in awe as a car is winched out of the Charles River in Cambridge, Mass in 1933. close to the Harvard University campus

Taken in 1934, this photograph shows a truck balancing on a bridge in Dorchester by just one wheel. Workers from the Walter Baker & Co chocolate factory rushed out of the building in the background to watch

Taken in 1934, this photograph shows a truck balancing on a bridge in Dorchester by just one wheel. Workers from the Walter Baker & Co chocolate factory rushed out of the building in the background to watch

Another angle from the same accident shows how close the truck is from toppling into the water

Another angle from the same accident shows how close the truck is from toppling into the water

This car remarkably survived a collision with a utility pole in Cambridge, Mass - with just a mangled bumper to show for the crash

This car remarkably survived a collision with a utility pole in Cambridge, Mass - with just a mangled bumper to show for the crash

The driver of this car was unlikely to have survived this collision. The wreck is wrapped entirely around a tree, which sits in the driver's position

The driver of this car was unlikely to have survived this collision. The wreck is wrapped entirely around a tree, which sits in the driver's position

The shell of a truck is pulled from the Charles River after it careered off the Harvard Bridge

The shell of a truck is pulled from the Charles River after it careered off the Harvard Bridge

Photographer Leslie Jones had to part crowds of onlookers to capture this accident in downtown Boston. An out of control car collided with a shopfront, smashing windows and ending up on its side

Photographer Leslie Jones had to part crowds of onlookers to capture this accident in downtown Boston. An out of control car collided with a shopfront, smashing windows and ending up on its side

Local businessman Byron Harwood and Byron Grover were hurt when their car collided with a bus in Waltham, Mass. in 1921. They were lucky to survive this nasty looking wreck. Their car certainly didn't

Local businessman Byron Harwood and Byron Grover were hurt when their car collided with a bus in Waltham, Mass. in 1921. They were lucky to survive this nasty looking wreck. Their car certainly didn't

Taken in 1934, this photo shows a car that skidded out of control on ice-covered roads and wrapped around a tree in Auburndale, Mass.

Taken in 1934, this photo shows a car that skidded out of control on ice-covered roads and wrapped around a tree in Auburndale, Mass.

A bus hit a truck and flipped over in south Boston, stopping just before it smashed into a cafeteria storefront

A truck collideded with a bus and flipped over in south Boston, stopping just before it smashed into a cafeteria storefront

Another view of the same accident shows eager children posing with the upturned truck. it also demonstrates how close the vehicles came to nearby buildings

Another view of the same accident shows eager children posing with the upturned truck. it also demonstrates how close the vehicles came to nearby buildings

A Cudahy Packing Co. truck is hauled out of Fort Point Channel, which separates South Boston and downtown Boston

A Cudahy Packing Co. truck is hauled out of Fort Point Channel, which separates South Boston and downtown Boston

Even public servants weren't immune to accidents. An early mail truck came out loser in this battle with a tree on the tree-lined Commercial Avenue, Boston

Even public servants weren't immune to accidents. An early mail truck came out loser in this battle with a tree on the tree-lined Commercial Avenue, Boston

Sitting in a Boston wrecking yard, this cross section of a wreck shows how basic car interiors were in the early days of motoring.

Sitting in a Boston wrecking yard, this cross section of a wreck shows how basic car interiors were in the early days of motoring.

 

Road-tripping through the American night - one photographer's eerie collection of abandoned and decrepit ruins taken after dark along the highway.

 

 Roy's Motel & Cafe   Old Dallas  

Roy's Motel & Cafe, perhaps the most ionic and isolated of all Route 66 roadside spots, in the tiny ghost town of Amboy, California. While the gas station and cafe were reopened on a limited basis in 2008, the motel remains closed, as restoration would present a fairly major challenge at this point, both physically and economically. And (right) Another part of the old Fort Dallas that wasn't consumed by the fire in November of 2010; the post office, a haberdashery, and on the end, 'W.H. McCool's Farm & Ranch Supplies.'

The great American road trip has long been seen as a rite of passage, immortalized in novel's such as 'On The Road' and the movie 'Easy Rider'. The image of the dusty highway tapering off into the sweltering horizon is as much a trope as a reality of American life, but one photographer has decided to alter that perception slightly and take his photographs at night.

 

Abandoned gas station on the edge of Mineral Wells, Texas: It is dark with a 1/2 moon, ambient light of all kinds from several directions, CTO-gelled NEBO Redline flashlight and Noel uses a Mercury-vapor lamp behind the building to light up the trees

Abandoned gas station on the edge of Mineral Wells, Texas.  With a half-moon in the sky, ambient light of all kinds from several directions, Noel used a CTO-gelled NEBO Redline flashlight to light up the pumps, as a mercury-vapor lamp behind the building lights up the trees. Set across the nation, but also along the Texan section of the iconic Route 66, Kern's pictures express the classic hold the road has on traveler's imaginations. The enduring fascination is to see the 'real' America and to date Rutgers University have estimated that people spend $132 million annually along old Route 66, which crosses eight states and is marked in some places by ceremonial signs.

 

 

 

Apocalypse Diner:

Apocalypse Diner: What's left of an abandoned diner on a densely overcast and rainy night in Readington, New Jersey. The vast majority of the lighting in this shot comes from the bank parking lot on the other side of the highway, severely limiting the possibility of more creative lighting

The Mayor Mobile: Northeast elevation of the now abandoned former mayor's mansion in Paris, Texas, complete with a 1963 Chevy Malibu sinking into the dirt out back

The Mayor Mobile: Northeast elevation of the now abandoned former mayor's mansion in Paris, Texas, complete with a 1963 Chevy Malibu sinking into the dirt out back

Rattle Snake Bunker: This is an old munitions bunker on the WW-II-era US Army-Air Force Base, set off in the desert of far West Texas

Rattle Snake Bunker: This is an old munitions bunker on the WW-II-era US Army-Air Force Base, set off in the desert of far West Texas

 

The long-abandoned Road Runner's Retreat Restaurant, with it's classic, oft-photographed sign, lies dark and still on a silent night in the most remote stretch of Route 66 in the Mojave Desert, east of Amboy, California (left) The long-abandoned Road Runner's Retreat Restaurant, with it's classic, oft-photographed sign, lies dark and still on a silent night in the most remote stretch of Route 66 in the Mojave Desert, east of Amboy, California (left) and (right)

 

 

The long-abandoned Road Runner's Retreat Restaurant, with its classic, oft-photographed sign, lies dark and still on a silent night in the most remote stretch of Route 66 in the Mojave Desert, east of Amboy, California (left), and (right) another classic diner sign, this time on I-15, between Barstow, California and Las Vegas, NV

The heyday of the freeway was in the 1930s and Route 66 in particular became emblematic of the increased car ownership and usage, despite the Great Depression that raged.

Route 66 was described in the John Steinbeck novel 'The Grapes of Wrath' as the 'mother road' from the Dust Bowl to the promise of California. It later became the family vacation route to the Southwest and was romanticized in movies, music and on television.

'It wasn't the only highway, or the first or the longest, but through the quirks of pop culture it became famous,' said Mark Spangler, curator of the Route 66 Museum in Lebanon, Missouri.

The biggest challenge to modern-day Route 66 travelers is staying on the original route, said David Knudson, founder and executive director of the non-profit National Historic Route 66 Federation. Signs are inconsistent along the long route and many are stolen for souvenirs, he said.

'It's hard to follow without a good map,' said Knudson, whose group publishes a Route 66 map and guides. 'Some parts of the road have deteriorated, some are in good shape and some parts were removed years ago and replaced with cornfields. About 80 percent of the original route is still drivable.'

Abandoned Martin 404 passenger plane, parked in a field off state highway 82 near Paris, Texas.

Abandoned Martin 404 passenger plane, parked in a field off state highway 82 near Paris, Texas. Built in 1952, this particular aircraft (tail number N255S) flew under at least three different airline names that I've found, including Air South, which was acquired by Florida Airlines in 1975. Florida Airlines was a victim of Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, no longer able to compete with the majors. In 1982, Florida Airlines ceased operations. Her history from 1982 to 1997 is a bit of a mystery as far as I can tell, but in 1997, N255S was purchased and put into service by Pro-Air, an American budget airline. The FAA grounded Pro-Air in 2000, citing multiple regulatory violations, ending this 404's flying career. Today she still sports her Pro-Air colors...along with the all the usual signs of decay the years have heaped on her, along with a few bullet holes, no doubt from some daft local youths

 

Sign for the old D&D Drive-In, on the main drag in Picher, Oklahoma. Like every place else in Picher, the D&D is now closed, a victim of the lead and zinc mining contamination in the area, which lead to the creation of the Tar Creek Superfund Site (left) Sign for the old D&D Drive-In, on the main drag in Picher, Oklahoma. Like every place else in Picher, the D&D is now closed, a victim of the lead and zinc mining contamination in the area, which lead to the creation of the Tar Creek Superfund Site (left)

 

 

Sign for the old D&D Drive-In (Left), on the main drag in Picher, Oklahoma. Like every place else in Picher, the D&D is now closed, a victim of the lead and zinc mining contamination in the area, which lead to the creation of the Tar Creek Superfund Site.  On the right, this old Café sign near Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert has seen better days

While shooting this abandoned farmhouse near Sanger, Texas

While shooting this abandoned farmhouse near Sanger, Texas, Noel and his shooting partner kept hearing cattle in the back part of the property, vocalizing in response to their presence. As the night wore on, the sound began to increase in volume as one particular bovine began to edge closer…until it was right on them and they discovered it was a bull!  The shoot ended shortly thereafter…

An abandoned 'Christian Church' in Picher, Oklahoma

An abandoned 'Christian Church' in Picher, Oklahoma, with a handy sign above the door in case you couldn't tell from the architecture. In 1926, Picher had a population over 14,000. By 1930, it was half that. In 2008, about 150 remained. This past weekend, I only saw maybe two or three places that were still clearly occupied as residences

 

Gas pumps & sign at the Gas pumps & sign at the

 

 

In the Mojave Desert of southern California, this old gas station watches over the older, seldom-used Route 66 roadbed, as traffic races past along Interstate 40 in the background.  (Right) an abandoned theatre in Paris, Texas

Graffiti inside a long-abandoned trash incinerator in Fort Worth, Texas

Graffiti inside a long-abandoned trash incinerator in Fort Worth, Texas.The federal government no longer maintains any of the route, so repairs are done by various cities, counties and states that took over each section, Knudson said. His federation has a program that recruits people to monitor the condition of 100-mile stretches of the road. But federal funds are available to owners of Route 66 businesses. The National Park Service's Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program has paid an average of $150,000 annually since 2001 for business renovations along the road that are matched privately, according to the Rutgers study. The survey found that the most popular sights along Route 66 are the old roadside diners, motels, gas stations, souvenir shops, theaters and other businesses. According to the study, 230 buildings along the route are on the National Register of Historic Places. The route includes quirky sights like the Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, Texas, which features a series of half-buried Cadillacs with their fins up. In Catoosa, Oklahoma, there is a giant open-mouthed whale built over a popular Route 66 swimming hole. People also travel Route 66 for the scenery of plains, mountains and rivers, Knudson said. It is still the American definition of the open road, especially as it passes through the remote southwestern states, he said. 'It's the adventure that draws many people,' Knudson said. 'There is certainly a lot to be said about that.'

   
 

November 11th marks the 85th Anniversary of one of the most famous highways in America, U.S. Route 66. Route 66 opened in 1926 stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles and became a western migration route for people looking for work during the great depression of the 1930′s or to escape the Dust Bowl disaster. Later, it offered vacation getaways and driving adventures until 1985 when it was decommissioned as a federal highway. Facing neglect after its decommissioning, many Route 66 enthusiasts lobbied for the highway to be placed on National Historic Registers and Preservation Lists. Today, portions of the road have been designated National Scenic Byways and some have been renamed Historic Route 66 in an attempt to boost its revival.

Route 66 is stenciled on the old road through an abandoned town in California's Mojave desert 14 July 2003. Route 66 is 2,448 miles (3,939kms) of roadway connecting Chicago to Los Angeles, now used by local traffic, road buffs and nostalgia-minded tourists. For midwestern farmers migrating to California to escape escaping the Dust Bowl in 1930's, the long stretch across the Mojave desert was considered one of the most grueling parts of the trip. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

2

An old cafe along Route 66 in Litchfield, Illinois, 03 July 2003 sits in disrepair and shut down after business screeched to a halt when Route 66 was bypassed by the high speed Interstate. The road which was the main roadway between Chicago and Los Angeles from 1926 to 1984 was realigned to follow different paths throughout it's history. Towns lobbied hard to have Route 66, "America's Main Street," pass through their town because the huge volume of traffic was a boon to local businesses. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

3

Cars at "Cadillac Ranch" on historic Route 66 in Amarillo, 06 July 2003. As a tribute to America's relationship with one of it's favorite automobiles, a collective of artists called Ant Farm in 1974 placed 10 Cadillacs, ranging from a 1949 Club Coupe to a 1963 Sedan, in a wheat field located west of Amarillo. Visitors are encouraged to draw or paint on the cars. Cadillac Ranch is a popular stopping off point for tourists on historic Route 66 which stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

4

A waiter picks up his order from the grill at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, 06 July 2003. The Big Texan, a 450-seat restaurant, is a Route 66 attraction which does a bustling business, drawing customers with their free 72 ounce steak dinner contest promotion. Anyone who can eat the entire 4.5 lb steak dinner, which includes baked potato, salad, shrimp cocktail and roll within a one-hour time limit gets the dinner for free. But challengers are required to pay the dinner's price of 55 USD in advance, and are refunded the money if they finish the entire dinner within one hour. Approximately 30,000 people have taken the challenge since 1960, with some 4,800 people have succeeded, according to the restaurant. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

5

A statue of Elvis strikes a pose as a nearby McDonalds restaurant is reflected in the window outside the Polk-A-Dot diner along historic U.S. Route 66 June 12, 2007 in Braidwood, Illinois. The restaurant has been serving travelers along the road since the 1956. Route 66 opened in 1926 stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles and became a western migration route for people looking for work during the great depression of the 1930's or to escape the Dust Bowl disaster. Later it offered vacation getaways and driving adventures until 1985 when it was decommissioned as a federal highway. Due to neglect and commercial development Route 66, the first highway to connect the Midwest with the West Coast, was added to the biennially compiled list of the world's most endangered landmarks by the World Monuments Fund and the National Trust for Historic Preservation's yearly list of the 11 most endangered historic places in America. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

6

Modern power lines cross the desert on June 16, 2007 in Daggett, California. Route 66 opened in 1926 stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles and became a western migration route for people looking for work during the great depression of the 1930's or to escape the Dust Bowl disaster. Later it offered vacation getaways and driving adventures until 1985 when it was decommissioned as a federal highway. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

7

A Marilyn Monroe statue stands along old Route 66 on June 15, 2007 in Rancho Cucamonga, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

8

A car makes its way across Route 66, the main street in Atlanta, Illinois, 02 July 2003. Atlanta was once a thriving town bustling with commerce to support Route 66 traffic. But since Route 66 was bypassed by the high-speed interstate, Atlanta, and the small towns like it along 66, are now sleepy and quiet, catering only to the nostalgic-seek Route 66 tourists who eschew the high speed Interstate in favor of the two-lane remnants of 66 which pass through towns like Atlanta. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

9

The US flag flies near the St. Louis Arch to mark the Independence Day holiday, along historic Route 66, 03 July, 2003, in in St. Louis, Missouri. St. Louis is the first big city after Chicago when traveling west along Route 66. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

10

Historic Route 66 (R) parallels the divided high-speed highway Interstate 40 (L) near Atlanta, Illinois, 02 July 2003. Atlanta was once a thriving town bustling with commerce to support Route 66 traffic. But since Route 66 was bypassed by the high-speed interstate, Atlanta, and the small towns like it along 66, are now sleepy and quiet, catering only to the nostalgic-seek Route 66 tourists who eschew the high speed Interstate in favor of the two-lane remnants of 66 which pass through towns like Atlanta. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

11

Signs point the way to various portions of historic Route 66 in Litchfield, Illinois, 03 July 2003. The road which was the main roadway between Chicago and Los Angeles from 1926 to 1984 was realigned to follow different paths throughout its history. Towns lobbied hard to have Route 66, "America's Main Street," pass through their town because the huge volume of traffic was a boon to local businesses. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

12

An old cafe along Route 66 in Litchfield, Illinois, 03 July, 2003, sits in disrepair after business screeched to a halt when Route 66 was bypassed by the high speed Interstate. The road which was the main roadway between Chicago and Los Angeles from 1926 to 1984 was realigned to follow different paths throughout it's history. Towns lobbied hard to have Route 66, "America's Main Street," pass through their town because the huge volume of traffic was a boon to local businesses. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

13

A visitor walks up to the Blue Whale, a classic Route 66 landmark and curiosity, in Catoosa, Oklahoma, 04 July 2003. The park closed down long ago and was left to crumble but was recently restored through fundraising efforts. Route 66 travelers bring their children here to visit the whale and recount stories about how they visited the place when they were children themselves. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

14

The neon sign of the Lincoln Motel is reflected in the windshield of a camper 04 July, 2003, along Route 66 in Chandler, Oklahoma. The Lincoln is a vintage motel in the classic style of the motor courts made popular during the heyday of recreational travel along Route 66 in the late 1930's to the 1970's. The motor court hotels, or motel, allow travelers to park directly in front of their cabin room for easy access to their cars. The meandering Route 66 in this part of Oklahoma has been largely abandoned in favor of the high-speed Interstate 40 but nostalgia-seekers still enjoy the friendly, personalized service one no longer finds in chain hotels along US roadways. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

15

Once the main thoroughfare between Chicago and Los Angeles, Route 66, as seen 05 July 2003 in Chandler, Oklahoma, is used almost exclusively by local traffic and nostalgia-seekers. Interstate 40 accommodates most long distance traffic. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

16

Route 66 souvenirs, including imitation road signs, shot glasses, salt and pepper shakers and bells are for sale in a shop along the road in Elk City, OK, 06 July 2003. Kitschy souvenirs of every description can be found in shops large and small along the road, which was America's main artery from Chicago to Los Angeles from 1926 until 1984. Fondly referred to as "America's Main Street," Route 66 is a living timeline of contemporary American history and a throwback to earlier times. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

17

A car passes the Round Barn, a much loved Route 66 landmark in Arcadia, OK, 05 July 2003. The barn, originally built in 1898, was recently restored. Like many other colorful personalities along Route 66, caretaker Ernest Lee Breger freely showers visitors with stories of his family's history along Route 66 and the heyday of Route 66, as well as the history of round barns around the world. Breer keeps and displays and a comprehensive image gallery of round barns around the world. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

18

Harley (R) and Annabelle Russell, the self-proclaimed "Mediocre Music Makers" entertain passing Route 66 tourists at their Sandhills Curiosity shop, a former meat store, in the largely deserted main strip of Erick, OK, 06 July 2003. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

19

A pickup truck drives along Route 66 past the mostly shuttered doors of abandoned businesses in Erick, OK, 06 July 2003. In 1999, the National Route 66 Preservation Bill was passed by Congress and signed into law by US President Bill Clinton. The act provided 10 million USD in matching fund grants for the purpose of preserving or restoring historic properties along the legendary route. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

20

A lone motorcycle rider travels on historic Route 66 across the western Arizona desert on the approach to Oatman, AZ, 12 July 2003. Route 66, 2,448 miles (3,939 km) of two-lane highway, was once the main artery between Chicago to Los Angeles. Between the early 1970's and 1984 the road was slowly bypassed as Interstate 40 was built. Now remaining sections of 66, including this desolate and winding 50-mile stretch from Kingman, AZ to the California border, still serve local traffic and attract motorcycle riders and tourists in search of classic Americana. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

21

A man reaches out of his van window to pet a wild burro, 12 July 2003, in the former mining town of Oatman, AZ on Route 66. Oatman transformed itself into a tourist town from a once thriving mining town after the mining was exhausted and Route 66 bypassed by the Interstate. Now the town thrives on tourism, Route 66 travelers, and others who come to see the historic Oatman hotel and the burros, descendants of the mining burros who were let free once mining was ending. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

 

From the late 1930s to 1969, amateur photographer Charles W. Cushman traveled the country documenting American life and landscapes with color photographs. Upon his death in 1972, he bequeathed his collection of 14,500 Kodachrome color slides to his alma mater, Indiana University, where they remain today. Below are a selection of Cushman’s photos from 1938 to 1949. You can see the entire collection and read more about his life and work on the Indiana University website.

Cushman

1

Sep. 3, 1938 - Sep. 4, 1938: Golden Gate Bridge - Marin End, San Francisco, California #

Cushman

2

Sep. 17, 1938: Street scene. Victoria, B.C. #

Cushman

3

Sep. 18, 1938: City Hall, Victoria, B.C. #

Cushman

4

Sep. 21, 1938 - Sep. 22, 1938: Hwy bridge over Columbia , central Washington #

Cushman

5

Sep. 21, 1938 - Sep. 22, 1938: More of the Columbia from its left bank, Washington #

Cushman

6

Sep. 22, 1938: Grand Coulee Dam under construction, Grand Coulee, Washington #

Cushman

7

Sep. 23, 1938 - Sep. 24, 1938: Looking up Along The Garden Wall, Glacier Park, Montana #

Cushman

8

Sep. 21, 1938: Leaving Rainier National Park on the way up to Chinook Pass, Washington #

Cushman

9

Sep. 23, 1938: Cushman Little old mining town Alberton, Montana #

Cushman

10

Sep. 24, 1938: north end of Flathead Lake, Montana #

Cushman

11

Sep. 17, 1938: A retired Britisker's home at Victoria, B.C. #

Cushman

12

Sep. 29, 1938: North across Midway Geyser Basin & Prismatic Lake in foreground. Excelsior Geyser in distance, Wyoming #

Cushman

13

Feb. 1939: Pre-war Airplane over Miami #

Cushman

14

Mar. 1939: Wofford Hotel Beach Miami Beach #

Cushman

15

Mar. 1939: Jean and Charles on Wofford Beach, Miami Beach, Florida #

Cushman

16

Mar. 1939: South Bay Shore Drive, Miami #

Cushman

17

Mar. 1939: Across Biscayne Bay, from the County Causeway, Miami Skyline #

Cushman

18

Mar. 1939: Star Island in Bay Biscayne Miami, Fla. #

Cushman

19

Mar. 1939: Blimp over Miami Beach, from Million Dollar Pier. #

Cushman

20

May 1939: Road south of Miami, Fla. #

Cushman

21

Oct. 1939: Fall colors at Dune Acres, Ind., looking past tree-covered dune to Lake Michigan #

Cushman

22

Oct. 1939: An October Sunday afternoon along Indiana's Dune Island shore with the Reeds. Jean and Mary. Hank to right. #

Cushman

23

Nov. 1939: Pink Rock below Rim between Yavapai and Yaqui, Arizona #

Cushman

24

Nov. 29, 1939: Looking across Grand Canyon from Yaqui Point, Arizona #

Cushman

25

Dec. 1, 1939: Works of Man and Native vie at Boulder Dam [Hoover Dam], Arizona #

Cushman

26

Dec. 1, 1939: Lake Meade at Sunset from Nevada heights back of Boulder Dam. Fortification Mtn. across the Lake #

Cushman

27

Jan. 1940: San Xavier Mission near Tucson, Arizona #

Cushman

28

Feb. 1940: Flagship Texas at Tucson Airport #

Cushman

29

Feb. 1940: Kangaroo Court along-side the Calaboose, Tucson, Arizona #

Cushman

30

Feb. 1940: Tucson, Saturday Afternoon in February #

Cushman

31

Feb. 1940: Tucson dude ranch, Testing out new saddle horse, Ft Lowell Rd., Tucson, Arizona #

Cushman

32

Feb. 1940: Tall sahuaros in foothills of Santa Catalina Mtns. North of Tucson, Arizona #

Cushman

33

Feb. 1940: Two Mexican boys fly a kite. South, main st. Tucson, Arizona #

Cushman

34

Feb. 23, 1940: Rodeo Parade, Tucson, Arizona #

Cushman

35

Mar. 17, 1940: Palm Sunday procession San Xavier Del Bac Tuscon, Ariz #

Cushman

36

Apr. 1940: Emmet Flynn as old Leather face in Movie "ARIZONA" on the set. Tucson, Arizona #

Cushman

37

Jun. 1940: Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco #

Cushman

38

Jun. 1940: Angel Island, S.F. Bay East Bay Hills #

Cushman

39

Jun. 20, 1940: California's Hills along Morro bay - Atascadero Road in June #

Cushman

40

Jun. 23, 1940 - Jul. 1, 1940: Sunday afternoon Band concert at S.F. Fair. #

Cushman

41

Jul. 4, 1940: Harbor of St. Francis Yacht Club Marina in background San Francisco #

Cushman

42

Jul. 4, 1940: Marina Beach Holiday crowd, Marina Beach, San Francisco, California #

Cushman

43

Jul. 4, 1940: Gayway G.G.I.E. Treasure Island, San Francisco, California #

Cushman

44

Jul. 4, 1940: Telegraph Hill San Francisco #

Cushman

45

Jul. 9, 1940: Lower end, Lake Walker, Nevada #

Cushman

46

Jul. 9, 1940: Tonopah, Nevada #

Cushman

47

Jul. 14, 1940: Hopi Indians. El Torar Hotel, Arizona #

Cushman

48

Jul. 18, 1940 - Jul. 26, 1940: Johnstown, Penn. #

Cushman

49

Jul. 18, 1940: San Jose, New Mexico #

Cushman

50

Jul. 26, 1940: Johnstown, Pa. Children of the Mill. #

Cushman

51

Jul. 26, 1940: Street Shower Hagerstown, Md. #

Cushman

52

Sep. 6, 1940: Drayman Baltimore docks, Maryland #

Cushman

53

Sep. 7, 1940: Georgetown Univ. High Tower, Washington, District of Columbia #

Cushman

54

Sep. 16, 1940 - Sep. 23, 1940: Row of old brick houses, half block from State Capitol, Annapolis #

Cushman

55

Sep. 16, 1940 - Sep. 23, 1940: Hillsboro, Virginia #

Cushman

56

Sep. 27, 1940: Harpers Ferry from Potomac river bridge, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia #

Cushman

57

Oct. 13, 1940 - Oct. 31, 1940: Posey County children. These live near the Ohio river at Mt. Vernon, Indiana #

Cushman

58

Nov. 2, 1940: Summer homes in Indiana's dune country Porter Co. at Lake Michigan #

Cushman

59

Nov. 17, 1940: White House and South Lawn, Washington, District of Columbia #

Cushman

60

Dec. 21, 1940: The Governor's Palace as seen from the Palace Green, in late afternoon, Williamsburg, Virginia #

Cushman

61

Feb. 1, 1941: Factory and mill smoke rise from Harrisburg's industrial valley. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania #

Cushman

62

Feb. 1, 1941: Pennsylvania farm west of Harrisburg #

Cushman

63

Feb, 9, 1941: Chicago's lake front skyline in winter from Northerly Island. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

64

Feb. 18, 1941: South Works, Carnegie- Illinois, from [91th] St., Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

65

Feb. 18, 1941: Scudding mist, Calumet river from 92nd St. Bridge. A cold day, Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

66

Feb. 19, 1941: Wrigley Bldg. and Tribune Tower Chicago, Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

67

Mar. 5, 1941: Chicago's loop bldgs. Northeast of board of Trade Tower. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

68

Apr. 16, 1941: Proud grandpa watches solo rope skip. New Harmony, Indiana #

Cushman

69

May 24, 1941: Across south part of Country Club grounds. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

70

Jun. 6, 1941: South St. Along East River front. New York City. #

Cushman

71

Jun. 6, 1941: Battery Park New York City. #

Cushman

72

Jun. 6, 1941: Wall Street New York, toward Trinity Church. New York, New York #

Cushman

73

Jun. 6, 1941: South Ferry New York. Looking up into Financial District from South Ferry. New York, New York #

Cushman

74

Jun. 17, 1941: Stewardess of American Airlines takes in a tan on Lake Michigan Shore. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

75

Jul. 1941: Little Butch and big beach ball. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

76

Aug. 2, 1941: The flying concellos hag out their wash back of the Big top. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

77

Aug. 21, 1941: Wrigley and Tribune towers from Wacker and Wabash, Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

78

Aug. 12, 1941: Old Otis home at 1709 Prairie Avenue, Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

79

Sep. 12, 1941: Rainbow Bridge and American Falls. Niagara. #

Cushman

80

Sep. 13, 1941: South shore, St. Lawrence from 1000 Islands Suspension bridge. #

Cushman

81

Sep. 17, 1941: Thuya Castle Mt. Desert Island, Maine #

Cushman

82

Sep. 18, 1941: Boat harbor at Camden, Maine - late afternoon. #

Cushman

83

Sep. 19, 1941: The old Short House circa 1717-1733 - Newbury Port Mass. #

Cushman

84

Sep. 20, 1941: Boats off Rocky Neck, in Gloucester harbor. Gloucester, Massachusetts #

Cushman

85

Sep. 20, 1941: Gloucester harbor Late Sun afternoon, Gloucester, Massachusetts. #

Cushman

86

Sep. 21, 1941: Faneuil Hall, Boston. #

Cushman

87

Sep. 22, 1941: A wedding party leaves church. Boston's Little Italy. Boston, Massachusetts #

Cushman

88

Sep. 22, 1941: Downtown Boston From Cambridge Bank of Charles River. A Sunday Regatta. Boston, Massachusetts #

Cushman

89

Sep. 23, 1941: Provincetown, Mass. #

Cushman

90

Sep. 27, 1941: An old house in any old anthracite town just south of Hazleton, Pa. #

Cushman

91

Sep. 27, 1941: Manhattan's skyscrapers from Jersey City ferry boat. New York, New York #

Cushman

92

Sep. 27, 1941: Lower East Side Corner Broome St. and Baruch Place. New York, New York #

Cushman

93

Sep. 27, 1941: On New York's lower East Side, Lower Clinton St. New York, New York #

Cushman

94

Nov. 5, 1941: New Orleans River steamer Capitol, New Orleans, Louisiana #

Cushman

95

Nov. 5, 1941: Street in negro section, Vieux Carre #

Cushman

96

Nov. 5, 1941: Vieux Carre New Orleans, Louisiana #

Cushman

97

Nov. 6, 1941: L.S.U. campus, Baton Rouge, Louisiana #

Cushman

98

Oct. 7, 1942: Chinatown. New York, New York #

Cushman

99

Nov. 8, 1942: The Marshall Field Mansion, Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

100

May 29, 1943: Fox river in Evening sunlight Waukesha, Wisconsin #

Cushman

101

Jun. 21, 1945: Michigan Ave towers from LaSalle - Wacker Bldg, Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

102

Jun. 23, 1945: Sheila McPeck at 8mo. - laughing. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

103

Sep. 11, 1945: Get out and get under-190? Cadillac At Rosenwald Museum. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

104

Oct. 13, 1945: Posey county farm house west of St. Philip, Indiana #

Cushman

105

Dec. 6, 1945: Two Steel Corp. ore boats at 100th St. bridge over Calumet river, South Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

106

Mar. 7, 1946: North side of Sullivan St. 400 block. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

107

Apr. 25, 1946: C.B. and Q wreck, Naperville, Illinois #

Cushman

108

Jul. 5, 1946: Old [1872] St. Xavier's Academy 29th and Wabash. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

109

Jul. 24, 1946: Oak Street Beach. #

Cushman

110

Oct. 23, 1946: Stripped coal land along Ind. Hwy 63 south of Perrysville, Indiana #

Cushman

111

Nov. 15, 1946: Mary feeds Jackson Park ducks. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

112

Jul. 20, 1948: Hyde Park Church of 1895 comes down at 56 and Dorchester. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

113

Aug. 5, 1948: Pueblo at Santa Fe exhibit Chicago RR fair. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

114

Nov. 17, 1948: Wrigley Bldgs. seen from Mich. and So. Water. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

115

Jan. 14, 1949: Enolia Brown and brother Leonard Jr. at window, first floor of 250 W. 23rd St. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

116

Jan. 16, 1949: Ruins of fire swept Bldg. at 4600 S. Paulina St. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

117

Feb. 11, 1949: Final stage of fire at 9246 Harbor Avenue. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

118

Mar. 1, 1949: Food and drink Store at 1000 Maxwell St. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

119

Mar. 28, 1949: Confectionary cart at Lexington & Dekalb. Chicago, Illinois #

Cushman

120

Apr. 9, 1949: Rear of 611 Liberty St. Chicago, Illinois #

 

Cushman

122

Feb. 1, 1941: Univ. of Pittsburgh Late evening, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Captured: Route 66

22

The sign outside the 66 Motel in Needles, CA 12 July 2003. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

23

A swimming pool in the shape of the state of Texas at the motel of the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas 06 July 2003. The Big Texan, a 450-seat restaurant, is a Route 66 attraction which does a bustling business, drawing customers with their free 72 ounce steak dinner contest promotion. Anyone who can eat the entire 4.5 lb steak dinner, which includes baked potato, salad, shrimp cocktail and roll within a one-hour time limit gets the dinner for free. But challengers are required to pay the dinner's price of 55 USD in advance, and are refunded the money if they finish the entire dinner within one hour. Approximately 30,000 people have taken the challenge since 1960, with some 4,800 people have succeeded, according to the restaurant. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

24

Vintage cars set the ambience at the front office of the Wigwam Village on Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona, 10 July 2003. The rooms, renovated and restored with the original hickory furniture and fixtures from they hotel's heyday in the 1950's and 1960's, attract visits from as far as Europe and Japan to experience this classic example of American roadside kitsch. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

25

The Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma, along Route 66, 05 July 2003. Historic Route 66 passes through eight states from Illinois to California, and every state has made efforts to support and highlight the old in an effort to revitalize the history and capitalize on the tourist trade associated with the historic route. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

26

A stencil denoting "historic Route 66" decorates the road outside of Kingman, Arizona 12 July 2003. Authorities in the eight states crossed by Route 66 have been involved in efforts to develop tourism along the 2,448 miles (3,939 km) of two-lane highway which once served as the main artery between Chicago and Los Angeles. Between the early 1970's and 1984 the road was slowly bypassed as Interstate 40 was built. Now remaining sections of 66, including this desolate and winding 50-mile stretch from Kingman, AZ to the California border, still serve local traffic and attract motorcycle riders and tourists in search of classic Americana. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

27

Four-year-old Sarah Mercer of Amarillo, Texas visits "Cadillac Ranch" on historic Route 66 in Amarillo, 06 July 2003. As a tribute to America's relationship with one of its favorite automobiles, a collective of artists called Ant Farm in 1974 placed 10 Cadillacs, ranging from a 1949 Club Coupe to a 1963 Sedan, in a wheat field located west of Amarillo. Cadillac Ranch is a popular stopping off point for tourists on historic Route 66 which stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

28

A sign advertises land for sale along Route 66 in California's Mojave desert 14 July 2003. Route 66, 2,448 miles (3,939kms) of roadway connecting Chicago to Los Angeles, is now a historic road used by local traffic, road buffs and nostalgia-minded tourists. For midwestern farmers migrating to California to escape escaping the Dust Bowl in 1930's, the long stretch across the Mojave desert was considered one of the most grueling parts of the trip. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

29

A neon figure is displayed on Santa Monica Boulevard, the historic Route 66, in West Hollywood, California on August 6, 2010. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

30

A BSNF train makes its way across California's Mojave Desert 14 July 2003. Historic Route 66 follows the train tracks across the desert. Route 66 is 2,448 miles (3,939 km) of roadway connecting Chicago to Los Angeles which in the 1930's offered desperate Midwestern farmers suffering from the Dust Bowl a pathway out of poverty, and after World War II became associated with tourism, affluence and the concept of the American "good life." (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

31

Andrea Pruett, owner of the Bagdad Cafe in the Mojave Desert on Route 66, serves milkshakes 20 November 2006 in Newberry Springs, California. The establishment used in the movie "Bagdad Cafe", about 40 miles west of the original Bagdad site on historic Route 66 outside the town of Newberry Springs, was originally named the Sidewinder Cafe, but after its use as a filming location, was later changed to the Bagdad Cafe. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

32

The desolate looking area around the Bagdad Cafe in the Mojave Desert on Route 66 is pictured 20 November 2006 in Newberry Springs, California. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

33

A weed grows through a crack in a closed section of historic U.S. Route 66 June 12, 2007 near Countryside, Illinois. Route 66 opened in 1926 stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles and became a western migration route for people looking for work during the great depression of the 1930's or to escape the Dust Bowl disaster. Later it offered vacation getaways and driving adventures until 1985 when it was decommissioned as a federal highway. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

34

Patrons wait in line for ice cream at the Rich & Creamy stand along historic U.S. Route 66 June 12, 2007 in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

35

A sign marks the route through town of historic U.S. Route 66 June 12, 2007 in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

36

A rusting truck is parked by an old drive-inn restaurant along historic U.S. Route 66 June 13, 2007 in Lexington, Illinois. Sections of the old road near the town have been turned into a park and walking and biking trails. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

37

The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, 06 July 2003. The Big Texan, a 450-seat restaurant, is a Route 66 attraction which does a bustling business, drawing customers with their free 72 ounce steak dinner contest promotion. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

38

A traveler passes by new and old power lines along historic U.S. Route 66 June 13, 2007 near Dwight, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

39

A sign declares an old section of historic U.S. Route 66 closed June 13, 2007 near Dwight, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

40

An old corn crib stands above a stretch of historic U.S. Route 66 June 13, 2007 near Odell, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

41

A pre-dawn sky is reflected in the windows of the Sportmans' Club on June 16, 2007 in Daggett, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

42

A collection of car license plates is displayed on the fence in front of a home on June 16, 2007 in Daggett, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

43

An old gas station along Route 66 is preserved on June 16, 2007 in Newberry Springs, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

44

A cat walks past a Route 66 signs at the El Rancho Motel, once a major Route 66 landmark but now in a state of decline, on June 15, 2007 in Barstow, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

45

The old Daggett Garage is seen on June 16, 2007 in Daggett, California. The building was an auto repair shop until when it became a mess hall for U.S. Army troops guarding railroad bridges during World War II. After the war it was a garage and machine shop until the mid-1980's. It was built in the 1880's in the borax-mining town of Marion, California as a locomotive repair roundhouse. In 1896 it was moved by 20-mule team to the Waterloo Mine south of Calico and finally to Daggett in 1912. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

46

A neon figure is displayed on Santa Monica Boulevard, the historic Route 66, in West Hollywood, California on August 6, 2010. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

47

The Wigwam Motel, built in 1949 on old Route 66, consists of teepee-shaped individual rooms on June 15, 2007 in Rialto, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

48

More than 100 Irish motorcyclists arrive at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California, on October 6, 2010, as part of a 2,448-mile (3940 kilometers) Route 66 ride to raise money for Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin, Ireland. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

49

New housing and shopping mall developers use new Route 66 signs as a marketing theme along old Route 66 on June 15, 2007 in Rancho Cucamonga, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

50

Aging hotels, many used by long-term residents, are seen along old Route 66 on June 15, 2007 in Barstow, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

51

Route 66 carries little traffic on June 16, 2007 east of Daggett, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

52

A car passes "Gemini Giant" a fiberglass spaceman which marks the location of the Launching Pad restaurant along historic U.S. Route 66 June 12, 2007 in Wilmington, Illinois. The restaurant has been serving travelers along the road since the 1960s. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

53

A garage stands destroyed along old Route 66 on June 16, 2007 in Ludlow, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

54

The Desert Market stands near the dilapidated remains of the Stone Hotel, built in 1883, where Death Valley Scotty stayed in 1900 and 1903 and Wyatt Earp reportedly stayed during his travels to mining claims outside of Parker, Arizona, on June 16, 2007 in Daggett, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

55

A motel stands abandoned on June 16, 2007 in Newberry Springs, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

56

The El Rancho Motel, once a major Route 66 landmark, has years-long residents and is in a state of decline on June 15, 2007 in Barstow, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

57

A car passes a burned out building on old Route 66 on June 15, 2007 near Oro Grande, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

58

New housing and shopping mall developers use new Route 66 signs as a marketing theme along old Route 66 on June 15, 2007 in Rancho Cucamonga, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

59

The sign on the El Rancho restaurant, a Route 66 landmark, has been turned off and the restaurant converted into a sushi and Asian Barbecue restaurant on June 15, 2007 in Barstow, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

60

Wigwam Motel, Route 66, Holbrook, Arizona on October 7, 2006. The brain child of Frank Redford. There were originally seven Wigwam Motels. The wigwams have a steel frame covered with wood, felt and canvas under a cement stucco exterior. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

61

Rusty Bolt souvenir store, Route 66, Seligman, Arizona on July 4, 2006. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

62

Rusty Bolt souvenir store, Route 66, Seligman, Arizona on July 4, 2006. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

63

Abandoned cars, Route 66, Arizona on July 4, 2006. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

64

Vintage Phillips 66 Gas Station and historic cars, Route 66, Chandler, Oklahoma on October 11, 2006. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

65

Historic Cottage Hotel, Route 66, Seligman, Arizona on May 3, 2009. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

66

Old gas pumps, Hackberry General Store, Route 66, Hackberry, Arizona on May 3, 2009. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

67

"Ice Cold Pop" sign and American flag advertised on Route 66, Seligman, Arizona on May 3, 2009. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

68

Chain of Rocks bridge, Route 66, St. Louis, Missouri on September 10, 2009. The bridge is for walking only and is one mile long. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

69

Old motel sign, Route 66, Truxton, Arizona on May 3, 2009. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

70

Cuba, Missouri is known as the Route 66 Mural City. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

71

The largest rocking chair in the world on Route 66 in Fanning, Missouri on September 10, 2009. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

72

On Route 66--worlds longest map of Route 66, Meteor City, Arizona photographed on July 4, 2006. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

73

Night comes to the El Rancho Motel, once a major Route 66 landmark but now in a state of decline, on June 15, 2007 in Barstow, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

74

Although collectors of bottles and other items found in the desert have all but gone by the wayside, Elmer Long carries on the tradition with his continual creation of a forest of bottle trees on old Route 66 on June 15, 2007 near Oro Grande, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

75

An iron fence surrounds the dilapidated Stone Hotel, built in 1883, where Death Valley Scotty stayed in 1900 and 1903 and Wyatt Earp reportedly stayed during his travels to mining claims outside of Parker, Arizona, on June 16, 2007 in Daggett, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

76

The old California Inspection Station mentioned in John Steinbeck's 1930 book The Grapes of Wrath and used from 1930 to 1953 stands abandoned on June 16, 2007 east of Daggett, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

77

An old house stands on June 16, 2007 in Daggett, California on Route 66. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

78

In this Thursday, May 5, 2011 picture, Angel Delgadillo pedals past his souvenir store and barber shop in Seligman, Ariz. Delgadillo, 84, has witnessed the rise and fall of America's most historic byway and gets credit for helping it rise again as Historic Route 66. Telling his story and the road's has become his life's work. (AP Photo/Matt York) #

Captured: Route 66

79

A train that runs along old Route 66 passes a railroad building before dawn on June 16, 2007 in Daggett, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

80

A colorful sunset takes place over the El Rancho Motel, once a major Route 66 landmark but now in a state of decline, on June 15, 2007 in Barstow, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

81

In this Thursday, May 5, 2011 picture, tourists walk on Route 66 in Seligman, Ariz. The 84-year-old Angel Delgadillo was the driving force behind the formation of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, which lobbied the state to dedicate U.S. 66 as "Historic Route 66." Highway signs were erected, the association launched an annual "Fun Run" of classic cars, tourists and media began converging and Seligman was reborn. (AP Photo/Matt York) #

Captured: Route 66

82

A train that runs along old Route 66 transports military tanks on June 16, 2007 in Daggett, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

83

A house is abandoned to make way for a new development on old Route 66 on June 15, 2007 in Rancho Cucamonga, California.(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

84

A destroyed cafe stands along old Route 66 on June 16, 2007 in Ludlow, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

85

Aging hotels, many used by long-term residents, are seen along old Route 66 on June 15, 2007 in Barstow, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

86

A French tourist takes pictures of the Bagdad Cafe on May 29, 2008 in the Mojave Desert on Route 66, in Newberry Springs, California.(GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

87

A view of the Bagdad Cafe,is seen on May 29, 2008 in the Mojave Desert on Route 66, in Newberry Springs, California. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

88

A roller coaster at the Pacific Amusement Park on the historic Santa Monica Pier, which is celebrating it's centennial year in Los Angeles on July 23, 2009. The iconic pier built in 1909 is a major tourist attraction and has been the backdrop for countless Hollywood movies as well as the end of the famous Route 66 highway. Almost destroyed by a pair of violent storms in 1983, it was rebuilt after local residents rallied to save it from demolition. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images) #

Captured: Route 66

89

Historic Route 66 runs in front of the Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon, Mo., as seen Sept. 5, 2002. The motel, built in 1946, is a favorite stop among the nostalgia lovers of Route 66. (AP Photo/John S. Stewart) #

Captured: Route 66

90

A truck travels a portion of U.S. Route 66 east of Galena, Kan., early Wednesday morning, May 28, 2003. Once one of the most famous and traveled highways in America, U.S. Route 66 is a travel route for sight seers and local traffic today. (AP Photo/Mike Gullett) #

Captured: Route 66

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The Route 66 Museum still dwarfs the landscape in Elk City, Okla., Jan. 31, 2006. A flurry of home building, packed hotels, the new cars and trucks cruising the red dirt prairie 110 miles from the nearest metroplex announce a prosperity that hasn't been seen in the western Oklahoma oil patch in nearly 25 years. (AP Photo) #

Captured: Route 66

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Pops Restaurant on Route 66 in Arcadia, Oklahoma on July 19, 2009. This sculptural take on a soda bottle and straw soars 66 ft. into the sky. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

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66 Drive-In Theatre, Route 66, Carthage, Missouri on August 12, 2009. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

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In this Thursday, May 5, 2011 picture, Angel Delgadillo sits in his barber shop in Seligman, Ariz. Delgadillo, 84, has witnessed the rise and fall of America's most historic byway and gets credit for helping it rise again as Historic Route 66. (AP Photo/Matt York) #

Captured: Route 66

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Entrance sign to Hamel, Illinois on Route 66. Hamel is where the two Metro East alignments of Route 66 part ways, the earlier path heading through Edwardsville and Mitchell towards the Chain of Rocks Bridge and the Show Me State. The later corridor heads further south towards Troy and Collinsville before heading into Missouri from East Saint Louis. Title: Entrance sign to Hamel, Illinois, Route 66 on July 22, 2009. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

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Abe Lincoln sits on a wagon on Route 66 in Lincoln, Illinois. Lincoln is a city in Logan County, Lincoln, Illinois, United States, is the only town in the United States named for Abraham Lincoln before he became president; he practiced law there from 1847 to 1859. First settled in the 1830s, Lincoln is home to three colleges and two prisons. Title: Abe Lincoln sits on a wagon, Route 66, Lincoln, Illinois. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division) #

Captured: Route 66

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A sign marks the end of U.S. Route 66 on Jackson Boulevard near the intersection of Michigan Avenue June 12, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) #

   
 

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