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Cave interior with stalactites, stalagmites and visitors, circa 1940s

Subject
Interiors
Card type
Linen
Date
c. 1930 (White Border)
Front of Cave interior with stalactites, stalagmites and visitors, circa 1940s, Carlsbad Caverns, NM, USA, c. 1930 linen postcard
Front
Back of Cave interior with stalactites, stalagmites and visitors, circa 1940s, Carlsbad Caverns, NM, USA, c. 1930 linen postcard
Back

About this postcard

A view inside a large limestone cavern, with long stalactites hanging from the ceiling and a forest of pale stalagmites and columns rising from the floor; a tall banded column at center is picked out with a spot of red light. Several small figures in brightly colored mid-century clothing walk along a path among the formations, giving a sense of the cave's scale. The scene is typical of the show caves developed for tourism in the United States during the early twentieth century, where electric lighting and graded walkways turned formations into visitor attractions.

Postcard Details

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PublisherCurteich
77—THE TEMPLE OF THE SUN, BIG ROOM, CARLSBAD CAVERNS, NEW MEXICO The Shrine of the Sun God, before which range numerous cordiline stalagmites. The stalactites form an onyx drapery above. © SANTA FE SYSTEM POST CARD PLACE ONE CENT STAMP HERE 6A-H2787 GENUINE CURTEICH-CHICAGO "C.T. ART-COLORTONE" POST CARD (REG. U.S. PAT. OFF.) DISTRIBUTED BY SOUTHWEST POST CARD CO., BOX 685, ALBUQUERQUE, N. M.
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Postcard record

PublisherCurteich
ConditionVery good
Place mentionedCarlsbad Caverns, NM
Place mentionedSouthwest Post Card Co., Albuquerque, NM
PublisherCurteich, Chicago, IL
NotesLinen-textured stock with visible crosshatch weave; no printed caption or imprint on the front; small white blemish at lower right corner. No postmark — unused card. Divided-back Curteich "C.T. Art-Colortone" postcard (card no. 6A-H2787), ca. 1930s–40s; distributed by Southwest Post Card Co., Albuquerque, N.M. Light edge wear, otherwise clean.

Cite this card

Cave interior with stalactites, stalagmites and visitors, circa 1940s, postcard, c. 1930. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/cave-interior-with-stalactites-stalagmites-and-visitors-circ. Accessed October 24, 2026.