Tag Archives: Arizona

Hopi Indian Woman Riding Burro, Painted Desert, Arizona

This image is an artists rendition of the view one might expect to see of the so-called Painted Desert in Arizona. It is probable that the woman riding the burro was added to give a better sense of scale to the image.

Genuine Curteich-Chicago “C.T. Art Colortone”

The description states:
P.D. 27 HOPI INDIAN AND BURRO
AT PAINTED DESERT
The Hopi Indians, according to the traditions, are descendants of the Cliff Dwellers or the older tribes who have lived in this region for many centuries. Their lives have been adapted to the semi-arid and desert wastes… even their corn (Indian maize), squash and melons are acclimated and other grains do not thrive here. Within the Painted Desert proper no vegetation is found excepting a few scrubby varieties of sage and rabbit brush.
–The colors of this image are exaggerated from the true colors of the desert, though the effect is still obvious and impressive when viewed directly or through more faithful reproductions. The cliff dwellers mentioned above are now more commonly known as the Anasazi, though this term is not preferred by the Hopi.

Hopi House, Grand Canyon, Arizona

The Hopi House, shown in this image, is a reconstruction of a Hopi pueblo as it might have existed about 1000 years ago. It was built the Fred Harvey company, the publisher of this postcard, as a place to exhibit, create and sell Hopi artifacts, and it houses Hopi artists who sell their creations to the visitors.

Hotels – Shops Fred Harvey Restaurants

The description states:
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZONA
The Hopi House next to El Tovar Hotel is a re-creation of the terraced Hopi Indian dwellings. It shelters valuable collections of Southwestern arts and crafts.
–This was part of a larger complex of Hopi recreated structures which were occupied by the Fred Harvey company, workers, or were designed as viewing spots for visitors to the Grand Canyon.
This card likely dates from the 1960s.

Yaki Point View, Grand Canyon, Arizona

The image here is from the commonly visited Yaki Point, a part of the Kaibab Trail. While the colors displayed seem more modest and limited than in previous photos, this can be a result of the time of day the picture was taken.

Hotels – Shops Fred Harvey Restaurants

The description states:
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZONA
Looking East from Yaki Point
In the late afternoon, the majestic architecture of the Grand Canyon becomes more pronounced with the lengthening of the shadows.
–In different lighting conditions, there is extensive red coloration as well as the yellow and brown shown here. This card likely dates from the 1960s.

Early Evening View, Grand Canyon, Arizona

This image, taken when the sun is fairly low in the sky, shows both the dramatic erosion common throughout the canyon but also the depth of the features visible from the tourists’ vantage point at the top of the south rim’s edge.

Hotels – Shops Fred Harvey Restaurants

The description states:
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZONA
The long shadows of evening accentuate the stupendous size of the ridges and chasms keep in the gorge at Grand Canyon. Easily accessible by rail, plane, and modern paved highways, Grand Canyon has become one of the most popular scenic attractions in the West.
–This card likely dates from the 1960s.

Midday View, Grand Canyon, Arizona

This view looks down the length of the Grand Canyon instead of directly across, showing the number and complexity of eroded formations that make up the canyon. While it is often assumed to be a single large and deep cut into the earth, the canyon is far larger and the erosion more complex.

Hotels – Shops Fred Harvey Restaurants

The description states:
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZONA
Nothing in the world can be compared with the Grand Canyon in form, size or glowing color. Varying in width from 4 to 18 miles, the canyon is a mile deep – an ocean of color.

–This card likely dates from the 1960s.

North Rim View in Winter, Grand Canyon, Arizona

This image shows a view similar to the one in the previous posting, but this time the season is winter, and there are snow deposits on the foreground foliage and on the rocky structures in the far background. The north rim of the canyon is at a high elevation, and though it is in the middle of the western desert, it becomes cold enough for snow to fall and remain during the winter.

Hotels – Shops Fred Harvey Restaurants

The description states:
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZONA
During the winter months, the visitor to Grand Canyon is entrance by the contrasts between the snow-capped rim and the deep warm colors in the depths of the canyon.
–This card likely dates from the 1960s.

North Rim View in Summer, Grand Canyon, Arizona

This image shows the great width of the canyon even better than its depth. The bottom where the Colorado river flows, is lost in the shadows and obstructing rock formations.

Hotels – Shops Fred Harvey Restaurants

The description states:
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZONA
Varying in width from 4 to 18 miles from rim to rim, Grand Canyon is nearly a mile deep. First discovered by the Spaniards in 1541, it is a visited by thousands of sight-seers yearly.
–Close examination of the photo will show that the promontory in the right foreground is accessible to tourists, and there is a courageous man standing very near the edge.
This image likely dates from the 1960s.

Watchtower at Desert View, Grand Canyon, Arizona

This week features several images from the world famous natural wonder, Grand Canyon, Arizona. This first image is of a Native American watchtower as it might have looked situated at the edge of the canyon cliff.

Hotels – Shops Fred Harvey Restaurants

The description states:
The Watchtower at Desert View
a recreation of prehistoric Indian lookouts. It commands a sweeping view of the Grand Canyon and Painted Desert.
—The Fred Harvey Company noted in the caption to these cards is a long standing organization of shops, hotels and restaurants in the American West dating to the 1870s.
This card likely dates from the 1960s.

Wickiup Motel, Holbrook, AZ

This is a typical specialty motel of the 1940s, with unusual construction designed to replicate the tipi style tent construction of the Native American tribes of the Great Plains. It is misnamed the wickiup likely because the owner did not understand the distinction between the two construction styles. However, the wickiup was used extensively in the southwest, though it was hemispherical in shape and not a truncated cone.
The motel was built in 1950 and has since been renamed the Wigwam Motel, a variant of the term wickiup, but still incorrect regarding the structures’ shape.
The white patches on the image are from where the card became wet and the emulsion was detached after being stuck to another card. This card clearly dates from the 1950s, shortly after the motel was constructed.

Mountain in western Arizona

This landform was visible from the highway, or from a scenic viewpoint just off the famous Route 66. It is typical of the remnant harder rock left behind after millennia of erosion stripped away the softer surrounding material.

The town mentioned, Oatman, Arizona, still exists and is a thriving tourist destination for those traveling along the old Route 66.
This postcard dates from the 1940s.