The Key to Travel

Our key today comes all the way from Washington DC, and if you like to travel,  I think you'll especially like this key!

This key opens the front door of the United States Travel Bureau in Washington DC. The key was donated in 1941 by W. Bruce Macnamee, who worked for this department of the government. As someone who worked with National Parks, I'm sure the Baldpate being right next to Rocky Mountain National Park was a great delight for him. He kindly sent the key and encouraged them to visit whenever possible.

The Travel Bureau was started in 1937 as a way to promote National Parks to both US citizens and international visitors. It opened using emergency funds and the founders hoped Congress would legitimize it with a budget, which they did by 1940. The Bureau was used to promote American tourism by publishing pamphlets and also attending fairs to encourage people to explore their own country. A lot of now retro posters of National Parks used for marketing back then were created by this Bureau and some are still used as marketing tools today.

Unfortunately, World War II would be the demise of the Travel Bureau, as it would not make it into the fiscal budget of 1942, signalling its end by 1943. Though it was short lived, the Travel Bureau sparked a love of cross country exploration in the American people that would persist until even today.

Today, the Bureau of Consular Affairs is the modern day equivalent and functions in a similar way that the Travel Bureau did. It was started in 1979 and has some of the original functions that the Travel Bureau had but also encompasses a lot more.

There's so many interesting keys like this one in our collection, so head on up to our key room and take a look around for yourself! In the past two years we've been working on a new feature in our key room so you can learn about our keys if there's not a curator present! Just download a QR code reader and then scan the codes by different keys and it'll take you to a blog post just like this one!

Written by: Victoria Witkowski, Museum Curator 

Source Used
Everglades
Garden of the Gods

Smo-"Key" the Dog

Attention dog lovers, this one is for you!

If you've been to the Baldpate, you know we have keys of all sorts: sock mon-"keys", piano keys, and many others. While we have many famous keys in our collection, sometimes the lesser known stories that hang on our walls deserve showcasing as well.

Smo-"Key" the German Shepherd is no exception. Smoky belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wagner of Greeley, Colorado and was their beloved companion for many years. This picture was donated by couple in 1937 after a recent trip up to the Baldpate and visiting the key collection. After the visit, Smoky donned a lock on his collar, as he was the key, creating a complete set. They thought the play on words that came from his name was a clever way to honor their beloved pup and also make a contribution to our collection, as they had greatly enjoyed the company of Gordon and Ethel during their visit.

Moose, the Baldpate's German Shepherd, offers companionship to all our staff and visitors just as Smoky did to the Wagners. Though he doesn't have a "key" in his name, he's still a very important member of our Baldpate family.

There are so many stories here in our key room waiting to be told- Smoky and the Wagners are just an example of countless tales all our pictures, keys, and objects tell. Come up for a visit and discover all the stories waiting to be told (and maybe give Moose a pat hello)!

Written by: 
Victoria Witkowski, Museum Curator 

Welcome Back!

Welcome to our 101^st 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 101^st 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.

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