This photo postcard features a Denver Tramway Company “Chartered Car” in 1905 providing its passengers sights of Denver and its environs to the west. Based on a description of the Denver Tramway’s “foothills” route in “A Guidebook to Colorado,” published in 1911, it’s possible this trolley would have begun its route at 17th and Tremont and offered a 3-hour ride covering 51 miles. This photo was probably taken and offered for sale as a souvenir to the individuals shown, which may have included Mary and Leonard Owen, the senders of the card.
If you look through the windows of the trolley above the head of the man standing second from right, you can make out a poster showing the beginnings and endings of the names for actors Tyrone Power and Edith Crane (who were husband and wife). Above their names one can see part of what might be a reference to the week of “Aug. 13.” This is echoed in the
large sign to the left, which appears to say “Week Opening Sunday Aug 13.” Above that are portions of white letters which may make up the sign for the word “Elitch.”
In fact, Power and Crane starred in “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” at Elitch Theatre in August of 1905. Evidence that this photo was produced contemporaneously with that event is reflected in the August 14, 1905, postmark for this card.
REFERENCES:
- Denver Public Library Digital Collections at http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/28735/rec/1
- “Historical look at Denver City and County from A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO published in 1911” at visitcoloradoonline.com (link no longer active)
- Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrone_Power_Sr
