Photographer Stephen Giangreco, based in Lenexa, Kan., is a fan of old vehicles, has been shooting images of Route 66 for years, and has a Web site called Route66Forever.com.
Giangreco has just published a fine-art book of his choicest Mother Road images titled “A Visual Journey Down America’s Main Street” (118 pages, self-published, $66 hardcover, $48 soft cover). Those vibrant and atmospheric photographs should bring a smile to veteran roadies and spark the interest of those who have never ventured on the old highway.
Giangreco segments the book into Gas, Food, Lodging, Sites and Ghosts chapters (the latter features abandoned vehicles). Don’t look for the people who populate Route 66. Instead, Giangreco focuses on the inanimate objects, landmarks and ruins that also give the road so much character.
His photos range from rich, saturated color to moody sepia-toned to black-and-white, with visual effects used sparingly. Among my favorites are a detailed look at the old Hotel Beale neon sign in Kingman, Ariz.; a Steak ‘n Shake restaurant at dusk in Springfield, Mo. (pictured above); and a faded Nutrena Feed sign on the back of the old Star Cash grocery in Commerce, Okla. (seen below).
Ghosts becomes one of the most striking chapters. In it, you’ll see long-abandoned DeSotos, Chevrolets, GMCs and other vehicles decaying in the weeds along the road. Giangreco photographs these as if they were fading beauties and not eyesores. Fans of classic cars will sigh wistfully at many of these images — especially in an era in which Detroit automakers are struggling to survive.
Some potential customers may be taken aback by the book’s price tag. However, “A Visual Journey” is a first-class volume, with excellent color reproduction, large images and quality-stock paper. In this case, you get what you pay for.
Recommended.
This is a great book!! It brings back so many memories.