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As a longstanding cultural icon and beloved vacation destination, U.S. Route 66’s legendary notoriety continues unabated. In fact, thanks to a corps of preservationists dedicated to keeping nostalgia for the road alive, interest in America’s Main Street is actually growing. But modern 66 enthusiasts aren’t the first to spread the word about the Mother Road—in fact, Route 66 has a rich, decades-long history of advertising behind it. It’s been more than half a century since Route 66 functioned as a major cross-country thoroughfare, but following its displacement by the U.S. Interstate system in the 1950s, advertising ephemera used to promote Route 66 motels, diners, souvenir shops, and the road itself became highly sought-after collectibles. In Route 66 Treasures, author Jim Hinckley’s unique new look at the road examines it through the lens of those promotional and advertising efforts, going so far as to include 15 pieces of fabulous removable facsimile memorabilia—as among them diner menus, cocktail napkins, paper coasters, window decals, postcards, brochures, and more—each enclosed in its own vellum envelope. Hinckley’s chronological history provides a richly illustrated and thoughtful review of Route 66 promotion through the decades in each of the eight states through which it travels.An utterly new look at the Mother Road, Route 66 Treasures offers a rare collectible archive for the growing hordes of 66 enthusiasts.
