Santa Fe - Navajo Land

Santa Fe Railway was founded in 1859. The company helped settle the mid-west in the later part of the 19th Century by selling real estate and farm land sanctioned by Congress. They became the second transcontinental railway to exist and expanded further with north-south routes in California. Santa Fe had a robust freight business and expanded its transportation reach with a bussing system. The company was featured in a 1945 song, "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" sung by Judy Garland for the film "The Harvey Girls." In 1996, the railway merged with the Burlington Northern Railway to form the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway.

In this 1950’s image, we view a scene in the Navajo Land which traverse Arizona and New Mexico. The scenic beauty of the area is beautifully depicted by the artist Willard Elms. A former art teacher at the Art Institute of Chicago who received his art education there, Willard Elms owned his own studio in Chicago with his main client being the Sears Roebuck catalog. He also was an announcer for WGN radio. He came to Arizona with a well established reputation as a poster and fashion artist. He settled in Tucson in 1949 and painted numerous landscapes, scenes of San Xavier del Bac Mission at sunset, and Indian genre. He did commission work for the Santa Fe railroad such as a little Indian boy looking for the Santa Fe Chief and others.
This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.