Brief Description
This photograph shows the Continental Divide sign on top of Loveland Pass in 1948. This sign, as well as the sign next to it, were located on the southern side of the highway, opposite where the signs are located now.
Info
- Date: 1948
- Photographer: Thomas B. Aldridge
- Medium: Original Photograph
- Size: 3" x 4.75"
- ID: CL-TA1948
- Acquisition Date: Feb. 2024
- Repository: Coloradotopia Archives
Scanned with basic cropping, no enhancements.
There are no known copyrights or restrictions on this photograph.
Historical Dating Comments
The image is labeled “1948” on the back. While the labeling is obviously done in a different ink than other the labeling on the back, the blue 1948 label does seem to show lots of genuine aging.
The Colorado State Highway Dept. text on the bottom of each sign supports this date. Signs made after 1953 would have either had no label or they would have had the Colorado Department of Highways label (the name was changed in 1953).
An enlarged version of this photo that shows damage on this sign suggests that the sign was probably here before 1948.
Take note of all of the dirt in the area immediately behind the signs. This dirt is shown eroding rapidly in photos taken here throughout the next decade, and the erosion can be used to date some images.
Full Scan
Backside
Comments & Discussion
This is one of the lesser-photographed sets of signs from Loveland Pass. These signs were in place for a few years in the post-WWII era, but they were replaced by the early 1950s. These signs are identified by the single mast on each sign, the two-line county names on the right sign, and arrows on the left sign of medium bold thickness.
Notice the damage along the right edge of the sign in the enlarged version of this photograph above. This is not simple weathering. This looks more like the result of a plow pushing ice and snow against the sign throughout the winter. This suggests that the sign was here by at least 1947 or possibly sooner.
This photo somehow made its way to Great Britain. It was purchased for the Coloradotopia archives from Ebay in 2024 for £9.10 (that was about $11.94 at the time), including shipping back to the states via Royal Mail.
Aging, Condition, Authenticity – Cracking and spidering can be seen in the photo’s surface, especially around the Pacific Ocean text area. There is one crimped corner, and the image has a concave shape upon its arrival into the archive. The backside has plenty of browning and yellow aging that appears genuine.
About the Coloradotopia Archives. The Coloradotopia archives hold a large collection of historical images and items that document Colorado’s automobile history in the mountains. You can read more about the Coloradotopia archive project here.
