Welcome to our 101st season everyone!
We’re happy to see familiar and new faces in our key room
this year so far, but if you haven’t been able to visit again or for the first
time, we’d love for you to come back! I was one of the curators last year and I’m back for a second year in key room
and would love to show you around.
Yesterday was our 101st birthday so in honor of
that I’d like to show you some of my favorite Baldpate related items!
Did you know that the town we call home, Estes Park, is only
a few weeks older than the Baldpate? Gordon and Ethel Mace homesteaded just
outside the main town and opened the bed and breakfast to allow folks to enjoy
our beautiful mountain views.
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| One of Charles Mace's cameras |
If you've visited us before, you’re probably familiar with the hundreds of photographs
that decorate our halls but did you know that all the pictures that line our
walls were taken by Gordon’s brother Charles? He was a photographer following a
few major generals in World War II and then continued his career as a
photographer for the Denver Post. When it was time to retire, Charles found himself
in possession of countless pictures he’d taken over his career, so Gordon and
Charles decided the best course of action was to put the photos up in the Inn,
where they’ve been ever since.
Our key room boasts over 30,000 keys, but we have two keys
that claim to be the first. One is by playwright George M. Cohan, the man who
is responsible for the play and earliest movie adaption of our namesake novel
by Earl Derr Biggers. The second comes from famed lawyer Clarence Darrow, who
is perhaps most well-known for his work on the Scopes Monkey Trial. This trial
would put him on the map and solidify his career. Both these famous guests of
the Baldpate donated their keys in 1923, but since the exact dates of donation
are not known, it look like it’s impossible to know which key really is the “first”
key to Baldpate.
All of our keys tell a fascinating story and the photographs
are a delight to look at which makes a trip to the Baldpate a surefire way to
turn any afternoon around. Thanks for strolling down memory lane with us today
and we hope to see you in our key room soon!
Written by:
Victoria Witkowski, returning Museum Curator
