1963 Loveland Pass Continental Divide Sign Kodachrome Slide #CL-14J
Brief Description
This image comes from a Kodachrome slide that was developed in 1963. This shows the US Forest Service’s Continental Divide sign at the top of Loveland Pass.
Info
- Date: 1963
- Photographer: Unknown
- Medium: Kodachrome Slide
- Size: 35mm
- ID: CL-14J
- Acquisition Date: March 2024
- Repository: Coloradotopia Archives
Scanned with basic cropping, auto white balance applied.
Image use restricted.
Image Dating Comments
This slide is ink-stamped with the development date of “Jul 63H”. The snowpack in the background is consistent with what you might expect in July. Aging is consistent with a slide from 1963.
Comments & Discussion
The slide’s exposure is not great, and this image is still very dark after the initial digital enhancements were applied.
The sign shown here was not the first Continental Divide sign at the top of this pass, in fact, it wasn’t even close. This was the 5th iteration of the Continental Divide signs here, but only the second one that was added by the US Forest Service. Numbers 2, 3, and 4 were all put into place by the state’s highway department.
This sign was not a flat wooden sign. The outside edges had a wave pattern. A similar sign was installed on Milner Pass during the same time period, however, that one was added by the National Park Service.
Condition, Aging & Authenticity: The slide has browning on at least 4 of the edges, with some of the corner browning progressing just slightly beyond mild. The slide needs cleaning.
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.
