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 The Museum seeks items that help
illuminate Route 66's history, both during its glory days before the
interstate system and objects from those who continue to add to its
story today.
Bob Waldmire's family has donated a significant collection of his
art and personal belongings to the Illinois State Museum to lay the
foundation for the collecting initiative.
"Bob represented a sense of freedom and devil-may-care attitude to
people who were more enmeshed in a routine," said his brother, Edwin
"Buz" Waldmire.
Perhaps there is no person more iconic to Route 66 than itinerant
artist and peace activist nomad Bob Waldmire. Throughout the 1970s,
’80s and ’90s, Waldmire traveled from town to town along Route 66,
creating and selling art and postcards. Then, in 1985, he bought a
1972 Volkswagen camper van that he lived out of in Arizona; this van
was later the inspiration for the character Fillmore in the
Disney-Pixar movie “Cars.”
The objects given to the Museum speak to Bob's prolific output as an
artist and his free-spirited, nomadic lifestyle. This gift includes
original drawings, paintings, prints, postcards, and a manual
typewriter on which Bob composed his newsletters and correspondence.
Additionally, the donation includes a pair of patched, cutoff shorts
he wore when traveling Route 66, a roadside display stand for
selling postcards and the hood of his 1965 Mustang, hand-painted
with a map of Route 66.
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"It is an honor for the Museum to receive this donation of Bob Waldmire's art
and objects," Illinois State Museum Curator of History Erika Holst said. "No one
symbolized the freedom and opportunity of the Mother Road better than Bob
Waldmire."
Those interested in contributing to the ISM Route 66 collecting initiative can
learn more about the items the Museum is looking to add its collection at bit.ly/ISMRoute66.
About the Illinois State Museum
Established in 1877, the Illinois State Museum is a dynamic institution that
inspires the exploration of Illinois’ past and present to inform and enrich
everyday life and promote stewardship of cultural and natural resources.
Headquartered in Springfield with branch facilities in Lewistown and Lockport,
ISM is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and a proud member of the
International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. Learn more at
illinoisstatemuseum.org.
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