Rabbit Ears Pass Continental Divide Sign Postcard - Postmarked 1953 #CRA-W-3528
Brief Description
US Highway 40 runs by the Continental Divide signs on Rabbit Ears Pass in this postcard by Harold Sanborn. The Rabbit Ears formation can be seen off in the distance in the center of the image. The postcard has been scanned from an example that is held in the Coloradotopia archives.
Info
- Date: Circa 1952 or Earlier
- Photographer: Harold Sanborn
- Medium: Real Photo Postcard
- Size: 5 3/8" x 3 1/2"
- ID: CRA-W-3528
- Acquisition Date: February 2024
- Repository: Coloradotopia Archives
Scanned with basic cropping, color correction, auto white balance.
Image use restricted.
Image Dating Comments
The postcard has a postmark from Craig, CO of 11:30 AM, July 18, 1953. The image was likely captured sometime in 1952 or shortly before then.
Backside
Full Scan
Comments & Discussion
A lot of the roughness that is seen on the surface in these scans looks to be a part of the original photo, not wear or aging of the postcard.
It looks like the door to the registration box is gone and the book inside is missing. It is believed that these boxes appeared and disappeared from the Continental Divide quickly in the early 1950s. This image may have captured that registration box in its final days. These signs would be replaced in 1953.
The note from the back of the postcard has been enlarged and transcribed below.
The correspondence above reads “This sure is swell country. This picture is just what we saw with the snow on the mts., and even snow close enough to touch.”
Condition, Aging & Authenticity: All of the edges are rough, and all 4 corners have some obvious wear. There is an abundance of surface cracking and spidering. The postcard’s correspondence in blue pen shows signs of natural fading and aging.
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.
