Witching Water Lunch Menu

I am not sure why the Rio Grande calls this photograph of Molas Lake, near Silverton, “Witching Water,” as that term is usually associated with dowsing. Molas Lake isn’t visible from the railroad, which goes through spectacular Animas Canyon a few miles to the east. But the lake is visible to highway 550, so the photo on the cover effectively advertises the railroad’s competition.

Click image to download a 1.2-MB PDF of this menu.

This menu is one of a series of post-war color photo menus designed for Rio Grande trains. I don’t think I’ve mentioned that the Kodachrome photos were not printed directly on the menus but were printed separately and then glued onto the menu covers. The menu itself is typical for the era, with five table d’hôte entrées and a variety of sandwiches and other a la carte items.


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