If life is a highway, then David J. Schwartz is certainly enjoying the ride - usually in a Mustang convertible chasing sunrises along the miles of Route 66.
The Lakewood-based photographer has made 42 trips over 22 years to visit the Mother Road, documenting the people and places that keep this beloved stretch of highway on the map.
“I always just was in love with it, passionate about it,” Schwartz said. “I would spend all my money on vacation to go travel Route 66 and make photos, come back and work hard and then go do it again.”
When he’s not getting his kicks out west, Schwartz manages his own photography studio and exhibits art prints around Cleveland and on the road. He’s also the lead editorial photographer for Route Magazine, a publication that spotlights the culture and heritage found along U.S. highways.
Commissioned in 1926, Route 66 was dubbed “The Main Street of America,” a symbol of freedom and connection. As its centennial approached, Schwartz’s photography drew the attention of one very big client.
“One day the phone rings, and I pick it up and the person on the other end says they represent the United States Postal Service. And they've been searching for a photographer to use for the centennial stamp collection they're creating,” Schwartz said. “After I picked myself up off the floor, I said, ‘All right, let's do it.’”
From film to stamps
The USPS had already done research on Schwartz’s website to present him with initial ideas but wanted to know what other images he might have. Over two decades, he’s acquired quite a few.
“I did a deep dive into my archive and probably gave them way too many photos,” Schwartz said with a laugh. “But you’ve got to think about, ‘Okay, how does this translate on a stamp?’”
Schwartz said he enjoys capturing images in a square format, harkening back to his earlier days shooting film on a Hasselblad camera. As it turns out, that format translates perfectly to a square postage stamp.
“Then you have to think about, we want to represent each state. You also want to show a wide view of what Route 66 is,” he said. “Then there's other things like the legalities of getting everything that's in the photograph signed off on and able to be used in the stamp.”
The entire process took about a year and a half, and the stamps are set for release later in 2026. Eight photographs captured by Schwartz on various trips represent the eight states Route 66 passes through.
In Missouri, it's the iconic Munger Moss Motel, which operated for more than 70 years until its recent closure. For Texas, the bright red and green neon of the Conoco Tower Station pops against a dark, stormy sky. In Illinois, Schwartz captured his friend’s Ford Model A gliding down a brick portion of the original road, bathed in morning sunlight.
“It was an interesting process. It was a lot of fun,” Schwartz said. “The people I worked with were fantastic. And, you know, I was honored because they felt that I had taught them a lot about Route 66 along the way.”
Discovering his promised land
It was 1988 when Schwartz first heard about Route 66, too early for internet searches but not for jamming to the hottest new singles on the radio.
“My best friend Mike and I had girlfriends that were best friends, and they loved Depeche Mode,” Schwartz said. “We weren't really into it. We were more like rock ‘n’ roll guys.”
But the electronic rock group’s single “Route 66” dropped that year, a cover of the original “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” written by Bobby Troupe in the ‘40s. The two teenagers were intrigued.
They planned a trip out west together to see the road for themselves, but Schwartz’s mother wasn’t on board.
“Makes sense, I wouldn't let my 16-year-old travel all the way out west with her friends either, so I get it now,” he said. “But from there, you know, it was just something that always lived in my mind.”
Schwartz eventually did take his first trip in 2004, and immediately he fell in love with scenes of old neon signs rusting away under the hot desert sun. He stopped and talked with people along the way, those who kept legacy businesses running while watching others disappear from the landscape.
Over the years, the people Schwartz visits on his trips have become friends and the highway, a second home.
“I want people to get out there, travel the road, experience America at a slower pace, see the places, meet the people and support it and help it thrive,” he said. “And I feel like this really makes that opportunity happen by allowing the whole United States to see Route 66 on stamps. I'm just truly grateful.”
Schwartz will host an open house at his Lakewood studio Saturday, Jan. 24. Visitors are welcome 1-8 p.m. to view the photographs in person.
