The fifth Charles Russell menu in the series has a painting on the cover called Indian Women Moving. Russell painted at least two other paintings titled “Indian Women Moving Camp”; though this one lacks the word “Camp,” it obviously depicts the same thing.
Click image to download a 1.7-MB PDF of this menu.
This is a 1956 breakfast menu from the Western Star and it includes table d’hôte selections ranging from 95 cents to $1.95 ($8 to $16 in today’s money). Patrons had a choice of seven fruits; eight juices; nine cereals; “G.N. health cakes” (pancakes) or wheat cakes; ham, bacon, or sausage; and assorted breads and muffins.
Thanks to Andres for this excellent image of the painting on the menu. Click image for a larger view.
On this menu, the words “Western Star” on the cover are in black instead of white, as they were in 1954 and earlier. I don’t have any 1955 menus so I don’t know exactly when the change was made, but I suspect it was when the Western Star inherited the Mountain observations cars from the Empire Builder in late 1955. Unlike the River-series observation cars, the Mountain-series did not have Russell paintings.
Back covers of the earlier menus state that “A larger reproduction of the painting appears in the observation-lounge car of this train.” The back covers of the 1956 menus are silent on where someone can see this painting. It makes sense that someone might think to change the cover lettering from white to black at the same time as the back covers were changed.
Click image to see a larger version.
The inside of the Indian Women Moving menus include the above image of a painting of mountain ash. As with other wildflower paintings in the Russell menu series, this painting also appeared in the dining cars between the windows.