This 1948 breakfast menu pictures a farmer’s field in Colorado. The back of the menu explains that “The central field of alfalfa is bordered in the foreground by one of oats, and to the left by a field of rye.” … Continue reading
Category Archives: D&RGW
Dated February, 1944, this menu is the earliest I’ve found in Rio Grande’s series of menus with color photos pasted on the front cover. This cover photo is, I’m afraid, less than inspiring. Why is there a fence in the … Continue reading
This four-page brochure describes the Rio Grande’s two routes between Denver and Salt Lake City with twenty small photos on the interior pages. The black-and-white photos have a hint of green tinting which isn’t always appropriate. Click image to download … Continue reading
When the Rio Grande had narrow- and broad-gauge rail lines winding through dozens of Colorado canyons, it justifiably called itself the Scenic Line of the World. Even in later years when its only passenger train, other than the seasonal ski … Continue reading
This menu is similar to a 1950 menu we’ve seen in that the color photo of Colorado scenery on the front is paired with another color photo of a Rio Grande train on the back. In the 1950 example, the … Continue reading
As is the case of other menus in this series (such as the ones shown in the last two days), the cover photo is printed separately and pasted onto the menu. The Rio Grande speed letters on the front cover … Continue reading
This menu seems less an advertisement for tourists than one for farmers considering a move to Colorado. The back cover claims that, in the Rocky Mountains, “nature smiles on the industry of man–where fertile soil and ideal climatic conditions combine … Continue reading
The caption on the cover photo says that it depicts a “monument to a mining empire.” Today, people would call it mining scars in need of restoration. The back of the menu calls the mountain in the photo “Red Mountain,” … Continue reading
The back of this menu tells a story of the rivalry between the tunnel-digging crews from the east with those from the west over which one dug the most. It doesn’t say anything about how Denver politicians conned the state … Continue reading
This beautiful cover photo shows the Prospector, the overnight Denver-Salt Lake train that operated as a heavyweight from 1949 to 1950 and as a lightweight from 1950 until its final run on May 28, 1967. This menu also happens to … Continue reading