Seventeen-year-old photographer Anthony Schmidt is celebrating the Mother Road in his newest project, Rediscover Route 66: One Miniature Mile at a Time. The project brings together his love of classic cars, photography, and vintage Americana—interests that have garnered him over 365,000 Instagram followers and 756,000 on Facebook. His work has appeared in the Studebaker National Museum, in multiple coffee table books, and in his annual calendars.
“I began taking photos at six years old,” Anthony says, “I’ve always loved cars, so I started taking photos of model cars. I was surprised to see how life-sized the cars looked when taken outside. I started doing it every day.”
For Anthony, Route 66 represents a slice of Americana and a portrait of the American Dream. “Driving down this iconic highway is like stepping into a time machine, with vintage motels and retro signs that look like they’re straight out of a movie. It’s not just about the places you see; it’s about the freedom of the open road and chasing your dreams, just like everyone did back in the day.”
Rediscover Route 66 takes off in April in honor of Autism Awareness Month—and specifically on April 2, World Autism Awareness Day. Anthony hopes the project will raise awareness for both Route 66 and autism.
This will also be Anthony’s first trip down the historic highway. “It’s the true car-guy thing to do—take your car down Route 66,” he says, “I’ve been building a 1954 Chevy 3100 truck from the ground up. It’s similar to the first car featured in the photo that went viral when I was nine years old.”
With this journey, Anthony is helping usher in a new era of Route 66 enthusiasts: travelers who honor its history while bringing their own creative flair to American road trip culture.
