Route 66

Repeat Photography

In 1997, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) undertook an extensive photo matching project to illustrate the effects of global warming on the glaciers of Glacier National Park in Montana. Photographers selected photos from the archives and traveled to the depicted sites, shooting from the same locations and angles decades after the original photos were taken to effectively document changes in the glaciers’ size and shape.

Although camera placement is approximate in the following Route 66 photo matches, the effect is similar to that of the USGS’s glacier study; by comparing an old snapshot with a new one, the viewer is able to see the marked decay – or, in some cases, revitalization – of a particular landmark along the Mother Road.

Repeat Photography on Route 66 in Arizona

Cool Spings Cabins, pre-1952 Route 66 between Kingman and Oatman, Arizona

Twin Arrows Trading Post, 1957 alignment of Route 66

Padre Canyon Bridge built in 1913 became part of Route 66 in 1926

Ranch Motel and Cafe, Sun Valley, just east of Holbrook, Arizona