Monarch Pass Continental Divide Sign Postcard CMO-X-1358
Brief Description
This postcard shows the Monarch Pass Continental Divide signs, the Hermit of Arbor Villa and his donkey sometime during the 1940s.
Info
- Date: Circa Early to Mid-1940s
- Photographer: Harold Sanborn
- Medium: Unused Postcard
- Size: 5 3/8" x 3 1/2"
- ID: CMO-X-1358
- Acquisition Date: April 2024
- Repository: Coloradotopia Archives
Scanned with basic cropping, no enhancements.
Image use restricted.
Image Dating Comments
The image on this postcard was captured during the 1940s.
This route over the pass was completed in 1939. The Monarch Pass panel on this sign was added to cover the controversial Vail Pass lettering during the winter of 1939-’40. Read more about that saga here. The lack of snow in this image + the presence of the Monarch Pass panel on this sign means that it must have been at least 1940 when the image was captured.
The lack of graffiti and the exact location are also clues to the date. After these signs were added in 1939, they were covered with graffiti while in that first location. The signs have been moved backward from the roadway slightly in this image, and it looks like they were repainted as well. This means the postcard was probably created closer to the mid-1940s.
This sign would be replaced in the mid to late 1940s with this one.
Backside
Comments & Discussion
Meet the Hermit of Arbor Villa. His real name was Frank Gimlett. He was frequently spotted selling postcards to tourists on top of Monarch Pass. He would have been Harold Sanborn’s competitor.
The signs shown here were the first set of signs added on this new route over the divide. It appears here that they have been moved back from the roadway since being added here in 1939. Previous images showed a large tree stump and exposed roots in front of the sign. The federal project post’s location in relation to the signs also indicates that the signs have been moved.
Condition, Aging & Authenticity: There is scratching and cracking of the surface, and delamination along the top edge. The backside has mild darkening due to age, and this gets a hint darker at the edges.
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.
