Route 66 Lost & Found: Ruins and Relics Revisited [Hardcover]

Russell A. Olsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2004

Route 66: Lost and Found conveys the spirit and the times, not quite like any other book. Arizona Daily SunFor several decades, Route 66 was the nation's main east-west thoroughfare, pointing Middle America toward all the promise California seemed to hold at various times, whether permanent refuge from the Dust Bowl or a temporary escape from the drudgery of everyday suburban life in prosperous postwar America. As such, America's Main Street once teemed with activity . . . bustling centers of commerce that evaporated into the vast American landscape like the jet contrails overhead and the heat rising from the Interstate asphalt. This engaging look at the "Mother Road" takes 75 locations along its 2,297 mile route from Chicago to Santa Monica and shows them first during their halcyon heydays through black-and-white photographs and period postcards, then on the facing page as they appear today, from the exact same angle and also through vivid black-and-white photographs.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For half a century, Route 66 was the main thoroughfare from Chicago to Los Angeles. Built largely from portions of old wagon trails, the 2-lane highway zigzagged through eight states: south from Illinois and slicing southwest through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and finally, into California. Going town by town, Olsen revisits the mid-century road side cafes, motels and service stations that thrived along the old route, juxtaposing his own photographs with vintage postcards or archival photos of each building in its heyday. The result is an illustrated catalogue of 75 buildings in various states of renovation, expansion, desolation and decay. For example, the Painted Desert Trading Post in Navajo, Ariz., pictured with busy motorists filling up on gas in 1942, is today windowless and surrounded by sagebrush, its painted stucco exterior scoured by decades of desert sand and wind. Meanwhile, the Riviera tavern in Gardner, Ill., still sits open, its white clapboard exterior and Schlitz beer sign remarkably unchanged. Olsen intertwines the highway’s history with the personal stories of the owners and patrons who recall vividly when the new 4-lane interstate system put the old road on the path to obsolescence. But before its decline, it served as "The Mother Road" for those fleeing the Dust Bowl, a main artery for WWII military transport and arms production and later, a sunny vacation route for hordes of post-war tourists. For those unable to get their kicks in person, this virtual road trip preserves the memory and adventure of Route 66.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Russ Olsen began exploring Route 66 in 1995, and on his first trip down the Mother Road he unexpectedly shot 27 rolls of film. He has returned each year, amassing the original images seen in this book and in his previous title, Route 66 Lost & Found: Ruins & Relics Revisited. Born and raised in South Chicago, Olsen today lives in North Hollywood, California. His work can be seen at www.route66lostandfound.com.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: MBI; 1st edition (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760318549
• ISBN-13: 978-0760318546
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,074,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A roadtrip from your favorite chair!, September 1, 2004

By 

A. Laroche (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Route 66 Lost & Found: Ruins and Relics Revisited (Hardcover)

I own a couple of route 66 books but I think this one is fast becoming my
favorite. It is like taking a roadtrip from the comfort of my favorite
chair. The "then and now" photos really give you an idea of how many things
have changed and strangly enough, how many things have stayed the same. A
written history accompanies each photo and gives great insight into the
motels, towns and cafes that once thrived along 66. It is hard to put down!

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Book to Have In Your Rt 66 Collection!!, May 28, 2004

By 

Glenda Campbell "bulldoggrrl" (Wichita, KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Route 66 Lost & Found: Ruins and Relics Revisited (Hardcover)

I have many Rt 66 books and lots of pictures I took on my own personal road trips, but nothing compares to this particular book! I am fascinated by the "Then and Now" photo comparisons and this book has plenty to look at. This author has done his homework! Each shot is taken from the original angle of the original photograph, if at all possible. The only downside of this is, I wish there were more photos (there are LOTS of photos-I just wish this was one of those 1,000 page coffee-table books!). I was not ready for this book to end - possibly a follow-up book in the future?? I sure hope so...thanks for writing this, it's one of the best!! I would highly recommend this book be in your personal library of Rt 66 reference materials.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating look back in time, June 22, 2006

By 

scrabble (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Route 66 Lost & Found: Ruins and Relics Revisited (Hardcover)

I have traveled Route 66 many times in the past four years, but Russell's book has opened my eyes to the history which is not apparent when simply passing through. His extensive research shows in the historical sketches he gives for each pair of photos. Although this idea has been done for other places, I find Russell's treatment especially compelling and well done.