Great Plains Studies, Center for
Date of this Version
1990
Abstract
Quinta Scott and Susan Croce Kelly have crafted an affectionate contribution to the mythology of Route 66, the U. S. highway stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles. Kelly's eight chapters provide a detailed, illustrated chronology of the highway, from its "birth" in the 1920s through its decommission in 1985. The narrative cruises from humble beginnings and heroic visions, through hard times, to jubilation and inevitable decline. This saga frames the series of documentary photographs by Scott who features crisp views of roadside relics, cafes, and billboards from the route's golden age, and textured portraits of their aging owners. Both photographs and text name, place, and date the subjects who provide the book's voice. Scott and Kelly invite the reader to assume a nostalgic stance, peering from behind your counter or pump onto Route 66, watching American history go by.
Comments
Published in Great Plains Quarterly SUMMER 1990 .Copyright 1990 Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska—Lincoln.