1951 Monarch Pass Continental Divide Sign Postcard #CMO-M-1219
Brief Description
This photo features the Continental Divide sign on Monarch Pass, a directional/distance sign, a travelers’ registration box, and a pair of vehicles. The image was captured at the top of Monarch Pass on the southern side of Highway 50 in 1951.
Info
- Date: 1951
- Photographer: Glenn L. Gebhardt
- Medium: Unused Postcard
- Size: 3 7/16" x 5 3/8"
- ID: CMO-M-1219
- Acquisition Date: Sept. 2024
- Repository: Coloradotopia Archives
Scanned with basic cropping, no enhancements.
Image use restricted.
Image Dating Comments
Both license plates have a ’51’ marking on them.
The Pontiac Streamliner that is shown here is a 1949 or later woody model. Next to it, a Ford sedan from either 1947 or 1948.
Full Scan
Comments & Discussion
This image was captured during the same photo session as CMO-M-1218. That postcard was acquired for the archives first. The Pontiac had already been identified by the time that the postcard featured here was acquired. The vehicle on the left has not yet been identified.
Another sign that this photo is from the early 1950s is the Colorado State Highway Dept. text. The name of the department was changed in 1953, and signs painted afterwards had the name Colo. Dept. of Highways written on them, if anything. The Monarch Pass signs from the mid-1950s had no name at the bottom.
The travelers’ registration box was not unique to this pass. These were also found on other passes, especially earlier in the 20th century. However, the earlier boxes were much different in size and shape. Boxes like the one shown here appeared around the state around 1950, and were gone by the mid-1950s.
Condition, Aging & Authenticity: The front surface has no cracking or spidering, and still has some glossiness. There is mild delamination visible under glaring light near the top and bottom edges. There is a tiny amount of mild discoloration due to aging near the edges on the backside.
About the Coloradotopia Archives Collection. The Coloradotopia archives hold a large collection of historical images and items that document Colorado’s ski and automobile history in the mountains. Subscribe to the Coloradotopia newsletter to receive weekly updates on new items as they’re added to the archives.
