Tennessee Pass Continental Divide Sign Slide CT-26
Brief Description
This image features the Continental Divide sign and historical marker on top of Tennessee Pass. The image comes from a Kodachrome slide that is held in the Coloradotopia Archives Collection.
The grass in the foreground shows signs of a recent snow dusting. The Continental Divide, seen through the gap in the trees, shows no snow at all, so this is almost certainly a fall season image.
Info
- Date: c. Late 1950s or later
- Photographer: Patrick
- Medium: Kodak Kodachrome
- Size: 35mm
- ID: CT-26
- Acquisition Date:
- Repository: Coloradotopia Archives
Scanned in slide scanner with mild digital color enhancements.
Image use restricted.
Image Dating Comments
There is no date on this slide.
The “Colorado State Highway Dept.” text on the sign indicates that this sign was added after 1953, when the department’s name was changed. The graffiti also indicates that the sign was not likely a recent addition.
These signs were replaced around approx. 1957 on other mountain passes in Colorado, but not on all of them. Other slides from the same photographer in the archives are likely from slightly later, possibly the 1970s. See additional discussion lower on this page.
Comments & Discussion
The featured image has had some mild digital color work done. The slide’s true colors are still much richer than what is shown here in the scanned image.
More Dating Comments
There are other slides in the archives with Patrick’s copyright mark on them. They are still uncatalogued as of the time that this one is being added to the website. They are almost certainly from periods later than the 1950s, and are likely going to be dated to the 1970s when they are added.
Condition, Aging & Authenticity: The slide’s mount shows visible signs of aging, but there is no notable damage to the film itself.
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.
