When I first moved to the United States I was surprised to see cars from so many states — besides New York — parked on the streets of Manhattan. I soon began documenting license plates from as many different states as I could find. American plates are of particular interest to us Brits (well, this one at least), since the UK’s non-descript white-and-yellow plates are identical irrespective of a car’s town or county of origin. In contrast America’s colourful plates feature a variety of great graphics and quaint slogans; seen together they are a celebration of the country’s vast geography through the history and diverse culture of its fifty states.

Most of the photos below were taken in New York City on the way to and from work; others were snapped while visiting different parts of the country. In some cases states are represented more than once, due to there being alternate or old designs still in existence. For reasons of space I chose not to include novelty plates (sports, college, wildlife). As of December 2009 I am still missing UTAH and WYOMING: if anyone has seen a car from either of these states parked in the New York metropolitan area I’d be hugely grateful for the tip-off!