BANFF NATIONAL PARK
Alberta, Canada
Lake Louise Sedan Lifts
1950s Vintage Automobile Bumper Sign
| Description: |
Here's
a piece of historical memorabilia from Banff
National Park in Alberta, Canada. It's an old
automobile bumper sign advertising the
"Sedan Lifts" at Lake Louise. These
were enclosed cable-driven gondolas that took
visitors up Mt. Whitehorn for a panoramic view of
Lake Louise and the surrounding area. This sign comes from the
days before bumper stickers became common, when
tourist attraction operators used to send someone
out into the parking lot to wire these cardboard
signs to the bumpers of the cars belonging to the
tourists who were then busily enjoying the
attraction. The hope, of course, was that the
cars' owners wouldn't mind leaving the signs in
place as they drove down the road to their next
destination, thereby providing relatively
inexpensive advertising for the attraction they
had recently visited. Some did and some didn't!
This particular
sign was printed on a medium-weight card stock,
rather than the heavier cardboard that some of
them used.
|
| Size: |
approx.
5.5" X 21.5" |
| Date: |
Not
dated, but I'm fairly certain it's from about
1959 or so. |
| Condition: |
Good,
I'd say. This sign probably didn't spend much
time on a bumper, but it was apparently later
taped and tacked to a wall for a while, so pale
brownish tape residue appears across all 4
corners and there are three small tack holes in
line with the "O" of
"LOUISE", with two more at each end.
It's just slightly soiled, as well, and there's
evidence that a small pennant was once stuck to
the back (see photos). It has spent the last
several decades loosely rolled up in a box, so it
doesn't currently lay flat without some
assistance (see photos). However, because it's on
a medium card stock, it can probably be flattened
again with a bit of time and patience. I'll leave
that up to the buyer, though. |
 
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