The portraits in the 1940 portfolio, which are mostly static images of Indians sitting for the artist. In contrast, several of the portraits in the 1958 portfolio actually show Indians doing something: making pemmican; beating drums; talking sign language; and … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Miscellany
For the 1958 portfolio of 24 Winold Reiss portraits, the Great Northern replaced Frank Linderman’s article about the Blackfeet Indians with one by Claude Schaeffer, who (unlike Linderman) was an actual anthropologist. Schaeffer apparently alerted the railway to the fact … Continue reading
In 1958, the Great Northern published a second edition of its portfolio of Winold Reiss portraits. All 24 portraits were different from the ones in the 1940/1947 edition, and only 11 were from the 1935 book on Blackfeet Indians. This … Continue reading
The 24 prints in the Winold Reiss portfolio measure 9″x12″, though the images on the prints are just 7.25″x9.7″. Each print also has a very brief description of the painting, which are shorter versions of the descriptions that appeared in … Continue reading
Frank Lindeman’s article on the Blackfeet Indians takes nine of the twelve pages of this little booklet, which was included in the envelope with the portfolio of 24 Winold Reiss paintings. Although this particular copy has a 1947 copyright, it … Continue reading
Like many western railroads, the Great Northern commissioned works by a number of artists. But the one that proved to be most popular with the public was Winold Reiss, a German portrait painter who came to America to paint a … Continue reading
In 1883, Northern Pacific financier Henry Villard celebrated the completion of the transcontinental line with a fabulous “golden spike” ceremony (which didn’t actually use a gold spike), and then promptly had a nervous breakdown over the company’s weak finances. To … Continue reading
This score pad uses the slogan, “A triumph of train comfort,” suggesting that UP’s marketing department didn’t alway keep its slogans straight. It probably dates from the early 1950s, as the size and design is identical to the Great Northern … Continue reading
Long train trips could be boring, so club cars sold playing cards and provided score pads. I’ve already shown a Great Northern bridge score sheet, but this 1959 pad is for bridge, gin rummy, and canasta. Click to download a … Continue reading
The SP&S favored American Locomotive Company Diesels, as its Diesel roster featured a total of 118 Alcos, but only 20 from General Motors. The latter included the two F3s shown on this card, which were originally numbered 800-A1 and 800-A2. … Continue reading