This postcard was published by Fred Harvey (Hotels-Shops-Restaurants). It is titled "First Santa Fe Train" and is after a painting by Frank Sauerwein (spelled Sauerwin on the postcard). A group of Southwest Indians is viewing the train. The train is barely visible on the horizon, but I thought this would be an appropriate card to start November, since November is National Native American Heritage Month.
Frank Sauerwein (1871 - 1910) specialized in western scene paintings. He was born in the east and received art training in Philadelphia and Chicago. He moved west to Denver in 1891 in hopes of improving his health and spent most of the rest of his life in the Southwest. His travels to the Ute reservation in southwestern Colorado in 1893 began a lifelong fascination with the Southwest and its Native inhabitants. He spent time in Taos and Santa Fe, and visited the Navajo and Hopi reservations. (source)
The Santa Fe (the abbreviation for Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859. Although the railway was named in part for the capital of New Mexico, its main line never reached there as the terrain made it too difficult to lay the necessary tracks (Santa Fe was ultimately served by a branch line from Lamy, New Mexico). The Santa Fe's first tracks reached the Kansas/Colorado state line in 1873, and connected to Pueblo, Colorado in 1876.
Frank Sauerwein (1871 - 1910) specialized in western scene paintings. He was born in the east and received art training in Philadelphia and Chicago. He moved west to Denver in 1891 in hopes of improving his health and spent most of the rest of his life in the Southwest. His travels to the Ute reservation in southwestern Colorado in 1893 began a lifelong fascination with the Southwest and its Native inhabitants. He spent time in Taos and Santa Fe, and visited the Navajo and Hopi reservations. (source)
The Santa Fe (the abbreviation for Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859. Although the railway was named in part for the capital of New Mexico, its main line never reached there as the terrain made it too difficult to lay the necessary tracks (Santa Fe was ultimately served by a branch line from Lamy, New Mexico). The Santa Fe's first tracks reached the Kansas/Colorado state line in 1873, and connected to Pueblo, Colorado in 1876.
Oh I just love that card! There is an old steam train that you can still take out of Pueblo, Colorado. Great fun!
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