The Palace of the Governors
Collection Summary | ||
| Title | Historical Postcards Collection | |
| Dates (Inclusive) | 1903-1908 | |
| Creator: | Ahlborn, Richard | |
| Collection Number | AC 427-p | |
| Size | 1 folder | |
| Repository | The Palace of the Governors, Fray Angélico Chávez History Library | |
| Language(s) | English | |
These postcards, which date from the turn of the 20th century, are early evidence of New Mexico's tourist industry. Tourism in New Mexico was boostered by Frederick Henry Harvey. Born in London, England, Harvey was an entrepreneur in the American Southwest. He created a chain of Harvey House hotels, lunchrooms, dining cars and souvenir shops along the route of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF). In 1876, the first Harvey House café opened in Topeka, Kansas. It was overwhelmingly successful, as the House featured prompt service and an attention to quality and detail often lacking in western eateries. Soon, the Harvey Houses spread along the route of the Santa Fe Railway. In addition to the hotels and lunchrooms, Harvey promoted cultural tourism. His company ran “Indian Detours” that showed visitors regional sites. To supply the Harvey House gift shops, the Fred Harvey Company contracted with local artisans, as well as publishing its own line of postcards.
At its peak, 84 Harvey Houses were located across the Southwest. They were built and operated into the 1960s. In 1968, Harvey’s descendents sold the chain to Amfac, Inc.
This collection consists of 19 historical postcards. These postcards were used to promote New Mexico tourism in the early 20th century. The majority feature the Fred Harvey stamp. The postcards portray New Mexican Harvey properties such as The Alvarado, El Ortiz, and La Fonda hotels, as well as local landmarks and cultural scenes.
The collection is open for research.
Limited duplication of print materials allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Historical Postcards Collection, Fray Angélico Chávez History Library, Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A.
The Photo Archives holds additional historical and Harvey postcards in its Postcards Collection.
Fred Harvey (Firm) - Buildings
La Fonda (Hotel: Santa Fe, N.M.)
Postcards - United States - History
Almost all the postcards are marked with a number given by the publisher. This number is indicated in parentheses in front of the postcard title.
| Description | Container | ||||
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Historical Postcards
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