Anyone who visited the Google homepage today saw a series of images that included a Route 66 shield.
The Google Doodle celebrates Route 66’s centennial. One hundred years ago today, highway officials in Springfield, Missouri, sent a telegram to federal officials, stating No. 66 would be acceptable to designate their Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway.
In a post, Google explained that the doodle “celebrates a century of Route 66 connecting America from the Great Lakes to the West Coast.”
More from the explanation:
To celebrate the highway’s heritage, the artwork features Route 66’s signature letterforms and historic road signs captured by Pics On Route 66 photographer, David J. Schwartz:
G — Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In, California
O — Blue Swallow Motel, New Mexico
O — Historic Route 66 Motel sign, Arizona
G — Munger Moss Motel, Missouri
L — Munger Moss Motel, Missouri
E — Blue Swallow Motel, New Mexico
Buckle up for the ultimate journey down Route 66 in honor of its 100th anniversary, crafted with Ask Maps. Explore the route here.
The above link goes to a Google Maps page that lists 48 attractions along the historic highway.
Schwartz stated on Facebook today: “I was invited to collaborate with the Google Doodle team to create this from my photographs. The Doodle that’s on Google.com right now, today, was built from my photographs of the Mother Road. …
“This is only featured on Google for one day — April 30. After today it moves into the archive.
“After more than two decades on this road, this is one of those moments. To see Route 66 represented on Google, built from work I’ve made out there, means everything.”
It’s been a heady year already for Schwartz. In a few days, his Route 66 images also will be featured on a set of U.S. postage stamps.
The Google Doodle is seen by an estimated 3.5 billion people worldwide. So it’s safe to say Route 66 is getting unprecedented attention — at least for today.
(Screen-capture image of today’s Google Doodle from Google.com)