“Carlsbad Caverns, National Park, New Mexico” foldout postcard 

Bold, bright letters and detailed prints help to capture and share the publisher's perception of the Carlsbad Caverns  in the 1950s. The detailed imagery on the outside, and within the postcard, is accredited to halftone printing. The postcard opens like a folder, and contains 9 postcards that feature imagery on the fronts and backs.  Different locations and artifacts relating to the Carlsbad Caverns are provided alongside their corresponding print, such as the Elevator Building, Papoose Room, and the Rock of Ages. All of the postcards are printed on one long strip of paper, folded to resemble an accordion and fit within the folder portion of the postcard. The inside of the folder describes various facts about the national park including its history, its hours of operation, and its various rooms within the caverns. The previous owner of the postcard documented their visit in December of 1951. Throughout the postcards,  a small note or two can be found written on the print, documenting the locations they visited on the property.

The folder was published by Curt Teich & Co. sometime in the 1940s to 50s. Carlsbad Caverns was  recognized as a National Park in 1930 by Congress and promoted heavily though postcards, National Geographic's Illustrations, and word of mouth.  The significance of the postcard can be deciphered through its detailed imagery and remarkable  information about the cave systems within the park, pushing America to travel and experience “one of the superb wonders of the National Park System.” Postcards such as this one were created as a way to advertise the location featured through the personal connection of the sender and the receiver, increasing the opportunity to promote business effectively. Not only did the postcard remind the receiver that the sender was thinking of them, but it was also personal recommendation to visit the location advertised on the card.