1954 Berthoud Pass Continental Divide Sign Kodachrome Slide #CB-339
Brief Description
This image has been scanned from a Kodachrome slide that was acquired by Coloradotopia in February 2024. The image shows the Continental Divide sign and several cars sitting in front of the Berthoud Pass ski lodges during the summer of 1954.
Info
- Date: 1954
- Photographer: Unknown
- Medium: Kodachrome Slide
- Size: 35mm
- ID: CB-339
- Acquisition Date: February 2024
- Repository: Coloradotopia Archives
Scanned by seller that it was purchased from.
There are no known copyright restrictions on the original image.
Image Dating Comments
This slide was dated by the seller to 1954. There are no date markings on the slide itself. Everything in the image, including the graffiti on the sign, is consistent with an image captured here in 1954.
The lack of any remaining trace of the winter’s snowpack indicates that the image was likely captured sometime between August and the winter season.
Comments & Discussion
This sign would be replaced with a new sign later in 1954. The next sign would soon be covered in graffiti as well. The vandals here would not cease until 1956/’57 when the US Forest Service would install a larger brown wooden sign.
Condition, Aging & Authenticity: The underlying pattern of the slide film appears visible below the cardboard mount on the front. There are mild signs of fading in the backside’s red ink. The overall hue of the cardboard mount is an approximate match to slide #CB-57V-233 upon entry into the archives.
About the Coloradotopia Archives. The Coloradotopia archives hold a large collection of historical images that document Colorado’s auto history in the mountains. You can read more about the Coloradotopia archive project here.
