"Pop 66," a collection of Wes Pope's black-and-white pinhole-camera images taken over a 20-year period on Route 66, contains plenty of intrigue. But it's Pope's text that elevates the book (hardcover, 115 pages, Press Syndication Group) into part travelogue, part family history.and part biography. Subtitled "A Dreamy Pop Can Odyssey Along Route 66," part of the … Continue reading Book review: “Pop 66”
Category: Books
Artist’s rendering unveiled for OKPOP museum in Tulsa
The Oklahoma Historical Society earlier this week unveiled an artist's rendering for the upcoming Oklahoma Museum of Pop Culture, aka OKPOP, in Tulsa, slated for a groundbreaking this fall. According to a news release: Nabholz Construction will construct OKPOP at 422 North Main Street in Tulsa, across the street from the Cain’s Ballroom, home of … Continue reading Artist’s rendering unveiled for OKPOP museum in Tulsa
Rockin’ Route 66 replaces Rockabilly on the Route festival in Tucumcari
A new organization announced a Rockin' Route 66 rockabilly-themed festival in June 2019 in Tucumcari, New Mexico -- two years after the town's Rockabilly on the Route event went on hiatus. Representatives from Garage 71 and Grease Inc. made the announcement in late June about the new festival, but news of it surfaced on Facebook this … Continue reading Rockin’ Route 66 replaces Rockabilly on the Route festival in Tucumcari
Researcher of Negro Motorist Green Book lands publishing deal
Candacy Taylor, who for years has researched properties listed in a long-defunct annual publication called the Negro Motorist Green Book, announced over the weekend three books about it will be published by Abrams Books. The central book in the deal is titled "Overground Railroad: The Green Book and Roots of Mobility in Black America." It … Continue reading Researcher of Negro Motorist Green Book lands publishing deal
Book review: “Route 66: Then and Now”
Call it a cousin to the "Route 66 Lost and Found." Author Joe Sonderman in a Facebook post in January acknowledged that influence from Russell Olsen's books. Those "Lost and Found" books (now compiled into one volume) showed decades-old images of Route 66 landmarks and newer photos -- both often taken from the same angle … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66: Then and Now”
Did Mary Colter fabricate her role as a Fred Harvey Company architect?
For decades, historians cited Mary Colter as the key architect and designer for early 20th-century buildings in the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railroad, including iconic structures at Grand Canyon National Park and La Posada in Winslow, Arizona. A book published last month on Amazon Kindle by Fred Shaw with the title "False … Continue reading Did Mary Colter fabricate her role as a Fred Harvey Company architect?
Man injured trying to rescue turtle on Route 66
A man suffered injuries Sunday while trying to move a turtle on Route 66 near Claremore, Oklahoma. The Tulsa World reported: Phillip Smith, 79, of Claremore, stopped his vehicle around 9:45 a.m. on Oklahoma 66, less than 2 miles north of Claremore, according to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol report. Smith was attempting to “save a … Continue reading Man injured trying to rescue turtle on Route 66
Longtime Illinois state trooper Chester Henry dies
Chester Henry, a longtime Illinois state trooper in the Pontiac area and an Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame member, died at age 86 in Le Roy, Illinois, on Saturday. One of Henry's pages on Facebook had this message Sunday: We would like to inform all of you faithful followers that Chester Donovan Henry passed … Continue reading Longtime Illinois state trooper Chester Henry dies
Oklahoma marks 90th anniversary of Bunion Derby
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association last weekend marked the 90th anniversary of the transcontinental Bunion Derby footrace, with several descendants of winner Andy Payne at the commemoration. The association marked the 1928 footrace that traversed Los Angeles to New York City, including a fledgling U.S. 66, by carrying a commemorative plaque during a motorized relay … Continue reading Oklahoma marks 90th anniversary of Bunion Derby
Negro Motorist Green Book inspires photography book
The Negro Motorist Green Book played a key role in a fashion photographer's book, "Reclaiming the Mother Road," that portrays two stylish African-American women traveling Route 66 in Southern California. Photographer Ashley E. Osborne's eye, along with the charisma of models Tsola Akuya and Monia Hicks and their striking clothing, created dozens of images that … Continue reading Negro Motorist Green Book inspires photography book