The U.S. Postal Service plans to introduce a collection of Forever stamps featuring photographs of Route 66. These stamps will be issued at the National Postal Forum in Phoenix next month to commemorate the highway’s centennial.
David Schwartz is the photographer whose work was used for the stamps, which feature images from each of the eight states the highway runs through.
“So the sights and sounds can vary from quiet, peaceful, alone in the desert to very busy in a city like Chicago," he said.
Schwartz says his fascination with Route 66 started in the late-1980s after hearing Depeche Mode’s version of the iconic song about the road. He began taking pictures of the highway in 2004.
“A friend of mine, when we were in high school, we heard Depeche Mode cover “(Get your Kicks on) Route 66,” and we started imagining what it would be like to travel Route 66," he said.
One of his photographs used in the stamp collection is titled “The Golden Highway to Unlimited Dreams,” which captures the path during the golden hour near Seligman.
“I couldn’t be more pleased to see this moment end up on [USPS] stamps after 22 years of traveling 66. It's super exciting to me," he said.
A first-day-of-issue event for the stamps will be held at the National Postal Forum convention in Phoenix on May 5.
The Route 66 stamps are available for pre-order on the USPS website.
