Description
What it is
This is the Jewel Cave National Monument design in the Scenic Highways poster series. It is a screen-printed wall poster, not a photographic reproduction, printed in three colors on a 14″ x 22″ sheet. Screen printing lays each color down as its own pass, which gives a flatter, more graphic look than digital photo printing and reads like a classic mid-century travel poster. It is built to hang and display.
About the design
The artwork draws on Jewel Cave’s early years under the National Park Service. A ranger in a period hat holds a lantern overhead to light the crystal-lined cave walls while a small group of visitors follows. The blue and gold palette plays the lantern glow against the dark cave. The National Park Service took full operational control of Jewel Cave in 1940, when two seasonal rangers ran guided tours at 50 cents per person. By September 1941 a permanent ranger was on site, extending the season from spring through early fall. Visitors today can still walk that route on the Historic Lantern Tour, which follows the path first laid out by the Michaud brothers who discovered the cave in 1900.
About the monument
Jewel Cave National Monument now has more than 220 miles of surveyed passage, making it the third-longest cave in the world. It sits on US-16 between Custer, South Dakota, and Newcastle, Wyoming, within the Black Hills National Forest about 13 miles west of Custer.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 14″ x 22″, portrait orientation
- Printing method: screen printed, three colors
- Series: Scenic Highways park posters
- Subject: early NPS lantern-tour era (NPS control 1940, 50-cent tours)
Who is this for
It is a good wall piece for someone who has taken the Historic Lantern Tour, or anyone who wants a park poster with a real story behind it rather than a plain photo print. The three-color screen-printed style suits the early-NPS subject, and the 14″ x 22″ size fits a standard poster frame, which makes it an easy gift to frame and hang.
Frequently asked questions
What size is the poster?
14 inches wide by 22 inches tall. A standard 14″ x 22″ poster frame should fit. Measure the actual print before ordering a custom frame to allow for any variation.
What does screen printed in three colors mean?
Screen printing pushes ink through a mesh screen one color at a time, so three colors means three separate passes to build the final image. The result is more graphic and flat than digital inkjet printing, with more saturated color. It is the same process behind vintage travel posters.
Is this the same as the sticker or magnet version?
No. This is the large 14″ x 22″ screen-printed wall poster. The same Scenic Highways artwork is also offered as stickers and magnets in separate, smaller listings.
Does buying this support the monument?
BHPFA is the official nonprofit partner of Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Scotts Bluff National Monument, and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, as well as the Black Hills National Forest and Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands. Proceeds from every purchase support education programs, conservation projects, and visitor services at these sites.
