Route 66 Show: Sneak Peek #2

Tucumcari Tepee, 2017, archival digital print by Sondra Diepen, 40"x27"

Sondra Diepen is one of the artists in the exhibit, "Then and Now: Rediscovering Route 66." opening next Thursday (April 27) at the KiMo Theatre Art Gallery in Albuquerque.

With two Nikon cameras and a fist full of sketchy maps, photographer Sondra Diepen, heads out on I-40, exiting here and there, to rediscover the original Mother Road as it once wound through the desolate parts of New Mexico. Her color photographs capture it all—from fading curio shops, boarded up motor courts, rusted classic cars, to motel signs along Central Avenue that still beckon travelers to stop, rest, and see the sights.

Todays' sneak peak is a photograph by Sondra of a curio shop still in operation in Tucumcari, New Mexico, located 42 miles west of the Texas border. Here's what Sondra has to say about her photo:

"TePee Curios was built in 1944, owned by Leland Haynes. It began as a Gulf Station as well as a grocery and curio shop. In 1959 Route 66 was widened through town and the gas pumps had to be removed. The concrete tepee was added to the front, becoming the new entrance to the shop.

"The TePee Curios sign was put in place during the 1960’s. In 2003 the New Mexico Route 66 Neon Sign Restoration Project chose this sign, along with eight other vintage signs, to be restored and lit to recreate the lore of the Mother Road."

"Curios and souvenirs are still sold here. It’s a ‘must stop’ place for today’s Route 66 explorers, where they can buy remembrances of The Road’s past glory.

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©2017 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Image "Tucumcari Tepee" and quotes by Sondra Diepen used with permission.