Menus shown here include non-color wrap-around photo menus that mostly date from before 1947; menus with Howard Fogg paintings commissioned by the UP for the 1969 Golden Spike centennial; children’s menus; and menus for special meals or occasions. I’ve divided these menus into several groups or series with a name based on the menus’ design themes. Click on an image to download a PDF of that menu. Click on the brief description below to go to the page describing that menu.
Art Nouveau Series
These menus were used from the late 1920s to 1935. The early ones feature photos printed using the lithographic process, sometimes called “hand-colored.” Later ones use “natural color” photos. The photos and text are surrounded by a busy border in an art nouveau style. Curiously, the Bryce and Zion menus come in at least three slightly different versions even though they are clearly based on photos taken from nearly the same spot. Along with the menus shown here, the only other one I’ve identified shows the Grand Canyon from Grand Canyon Lodge.
 1927 Menu |  1928 Menu |  1929 Menu |
 1929 Menu |  1929 Menu |  1929 Menu |
 1929 Menu |  1929 Menu |  1930 Menu |
 1930 Menu |  1930 Menu |  1934 Menu |
 1934 Menu |  1934 Menu |  1935 Menu |
 1935 Menu |
Moderne Series
In 1935, the railroad simplified its menus with a white background and a few stripes, but still using the same photos and text as in the Art Nouveau series. I originally called this the Modern series, but Moderne is more appropriate. Moderne “is almost the exact opposite” of Modern, another web site observes. “‘Modern’ design values only the functional and eschews all ornament; moderne design insists that the functional must be made artistic before it can show its face in public.” In addition to the three menus shown here, I’ve identified ones with Mount Rainier and the Great White Throne.
 1935 Menu |  1935 Menu |  1935 Menu |
Black-and-White Series
The Modern series lasted less than a year, as UP introduced a series with black-and-white photos of parks and other sights in 1936. Instead of photos that wrapped around the menu, these used two different photos on the front and back covers. In addition to the menus shown here, I’ve identified ones showing Old Faithful and Yosemite Valley.
 1939 Menu |  1940 Menu |  1940 Menu |
 1941 Menu |  1941 Menu |  1945 Menu |
Premiere Series
In the 1930s, UP designed specific menus for each of its premiere heavyweight trains including the Los Angeles Limited, Overland Limited, Portland Rose, Columbine, and Pony Express. Early in the history of these menus, the premiere status of these trains was displaced by the streamliners, but the streamliners initially did not go every day. By 1949 or so, UP was using color wraparound menus on these trains.
 1939 Menu |  1939 Menu |  1942 Menu |
 1942 Menu |  1943 Menu |  1946 Menu |
 1946 Menu |  1948 Menu |
Streamliner Series
The first streamliners used menus with the Winged Streamliner logo on the front. Although these were largely replaced by the color wraparound menus in 1947, I’ve seen a couple of City of San Francisco streamliner menus dated 1964.
 1946 Menu |  1946 Menu |  1946 Menu |
Lodge Menus
These menus were used in Union Pacific lodges and hotels. Some lodges also used color wraparound menus.
 1936 Menu |  1953 Menu |  1953 Menu |
 1955 Menu |  1961 Menu |  1961 Menu |
Children’s Menus
Union Pacific appears to have had three children’s menus before the war (bear, rabbit, and squirrel) and three after the war (bear, deer, and cowboy).
 1930 Menu |  1930 Menu |  1930 Menu |
 1933 Menu |  1950 Menu |  1957 Menu |
 1964 Menu |  1965 Menu |  1969 Menu |
Centennial Series
UP commissioned famous railroad painter Howard Fogg to do sixteen paintings to commemorate the centennial of the last spike. UP used six of these paintings on lunch and dinner menu folders and the same six on breakfast, lunch, and coffee shop car menu cards.
 1969 Menu |  1969 Menu |  1969 Menu |
 1970 Menu |  1970 Menu |  1971 Menu |
 1971 Menu |  1971 Menu |
Special Menus
This is a catch-all category that includes a cute beverage menu, one of a series of World War II menus, a Chef’s Salad menu that was used on UP passenger trains for many years, Christmas menus, and menus used on special trains after UP ceased to operate passenger trains. Two others I’ve identified in the World War II series depict Red Cross volunteers packaging bandages and a farm worker picking “vitamins for victory.”
 1936 Menu |  1946 Menu |  1964 Menu |
 1964 Menu |  1970 Menu |  1971 Menu |
 1974 Menu |  1979 Menu |