WILLIAM MARK SOMMER

Lost Highway

America is the land of highways, where the car is king and freedom was found along the open road. The American dream was made possible through these endless roadways, but as progress came it also led to the downfall of this American roadside tradition. As travel became boundless with the construction of the Interstate system it also marked an end to the unique neon lit highway towns that were bypassed in order to speed traffic along these utopian motorways.

Lost Highway examines this forgotten concept of the American Dream by focusing on the abandoned neon signs that remain along the highways of the Southwest.These neon signs call back to the culture of the past eras by showing the style and taste these people utilized to pull traffic off the road and into their accommodations. Through these dreams, the neon sign became iconic across every highway in America continually growing into the 50s. As decades passed these signs stood as personal pillars of history and culture of the road, but now are fading reminders of the famed American roadways.

Through the fading cultures and passing generations these neon signs have remained along the road showing the history of these bygone eras, but as more time passes this history disappears. Lost Highway looks to catalog these signs to bring attention to their preservation in hopes these bypassed dreams of America are not lost forever.

© William Mark Sommer
© William Mark Sommer
© William Mark Sommer
© William Mark Sommer

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