A new photographic commentary, titled “Route 66: The Road Taken,” shatters the myth of America’s Route 66 as a path to a better life and impresses upon its viewer what the road has become: A corridor of raw hopelessness and a symbol of American dreams no longer possible.
The book is the product of a collaboration between Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Edward Keating and Decker Design president and creative director, Lynda Decker. The booklet, which was printed by Digital Color Concepts (DCC) is the first in a series designed to show how expert graphic design and printing can amplify the impact of photographic art.
"Ed Keating’s gift is that he captures small, intimate human moments that occur in the context of a larger narrative. Ed’s body of work for this project is much larger than this publication; my challenge was to curate the images down to a select few, while remaining true to his vision,” notes Decker.
Keating has been photographing Route 66 for decades. He has traversed completely the entire road – 2,448 miles – four times and frequently tours its various stretches, capturing portraits of people, places and hideaways along the way. Keating’s personal connection with the road – during the depression, his uncle and grandfather drove on it as they migrated from St. Louis to California – adds an additional dimension of understanding to the changes that have taken place over the past several decades.
“Route 66 once was a symbol of hope for a more fruitful tomorrow. The calling to “go West” and “take to the highway” was very much a real thing and were the same ideas that compelled me to embark on this journey for the first time 32 years ago. Although Route 66 doesn’t hold the same significance as it did during the 60s and 70s, it is still a part of our culture – one that should not be neglected or vilified,” says Keating.
The book is a short run limited edition and is available by request only. To obtain a copy of the booklet, please contact Lynda Decker at 212.633.8588 or email route66@deckerdesign.com.