Author-photographer Sondra Diepen will present a visual tour of Route 66 through New Mexico on Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. at Placitas Community Library, coinciding with the highway’s centennial year.
Diepen spent more than a decade following original maps of the historic highway, documenting both abandoned and thriving locations along the route. Her work includes photographs of vintage trading posts, roadside attractions, diners, gas stations and motor courts.
The presentation will highlight notable Route 66 sites, including a snake pit near Moriarty, Budville — site of an unsolved murder — and the original Chief Yellowhorse Trading Post. Diepen will also discuss the original Santa Fe loop and El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, where actors including Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne stayed.
During her research, Diepen interviewed longtime residents and collected stories from the highway’s heyday.
Following the presentation, Diepen will sign copies of her book “Route 66 New Mexico: A Visual Tour,” which features more than 200 color photographs and narratives about 51 locations. The book includes maps to guide travelers to vintage businesses and historical sites along the route.
Diepen, an Albuquerque resident since 1974, earned a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of California, Davis. She transitioned from painting to photography after purchasing her first digital camera in 2008.
The event is free and open to the public. Placitas Community Library is located at 453 Highway 165. For more information, call 505-867-3355 or visitwww.placitaslibrary.com.