Description
What is this bag?
A canvas tote printed with Jewel Cave National Monument artwork in the style of the national park posters the WPA made in the 1930s: a few flat colors, heavy shapes, and the park name lettered across the bottom over “U.S. Department of the Interior” and “National Park Service.” The bag is natural 100% recycled cotton canvas printed in slate blue and gold, with natural woven handles and an expandable bottom. Each side carries a different scene. McGovern & Company makes it for BHPFA, and outside our park stores this is the only place to get it.
What the artwork shows
The front is the cave. Walls and ceiling are worked in flat blocks of gold and slate blue, and a railed stairway climbs through the middle of it with four figures on the steps, the one in front in a flat-brimmed ranger hat. That is how you see Jewel Cave: on a tour, on stairs. A small woven BHPFA label is stitched near the top of the panel.
The back is above ground. A wooded draw runs down to a dry gravel wash, with pines along the ridge and gold clouds in the sky. Four bighorn sheep are in it: a full-curl ram standing in the wash at the bottom, and three more up on the slope and the ridgeline. Both sides carry the same lettering across the bottom: Jewel Cave National Monument, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
The cave and the sheep
Both scenes are the monument’s own. Jewel Cave has over 220 miles of mapped and surveyed passages, which makes it one of the longest caves in the world, and the survey keeps growing by a few miles most years. The Scenic Tour walks a half mile loop and 734 stair steps through chambers like the one on the bag. Bighorn sheep range through the southern Black Hills around the monument, which is why they turn up on the other side. There is more about visiting on our Jewel Cave National Monument page.
Specifications
- Material: 100% recycled cotton canvas
- Color: Natural canvas printed in slate blue and gold
- Size: 16″ x 16″ with an expandable bottom
- Handles: Natural woven cotton
- Print: A different scene on each side, in eco-friendly inks
- Care: Hand wash cold, hang to dry
- Made in India for BHPFA by McGovern & Company
Who is this for?
A practical souvenir for anyone who has done a Jewel Cave tour, and a usable everyday bag for anyone who has not. It holds groceries, library books, or a day’s gear, and it folds flat in a suitcase.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the bag and what is it made of? 16 inches wide by 16 inches tall with an expandable bottom, in 100% recycled cotton canvas with natural woven handles.
Is the artwork the same on both sides? No. The front shows the cave, with a ranger leading visitors up the stairway. The back shows bighorn sheep in the draw above the cave. Both sides carry the same Jewel Cave National Monument lettering.
Is this a real 1930s WPA poster design? No. The artwork was drawn for BHPFA in the style of the 1930s posters; it is not a reproduction of a period print.
How do I wash it? Hand wash in cold water and hang it to dry. The print is eco-friendly ink on canvas, so skip the machine.
Who makes it? McGovern & Company (McGovern Outdoor), the same maker as our Scotts Bluff and Maka Oniye totes. The bag is handmade in India from 100% recycled cotton. The design is a BHPFA commission.
Can I buy it at the park? Yes. BHPFA runs the park store at the Jewel Cave National Monument visitor center on US-16 between Custer and Newcastle, Wyoming, and this bag is on the shelf there.
Does buying this support Jewel Cave National 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.
Product family
This is one of four custom canvas bag designs BHPFA makes for its partner sites. Online, see the Scotts Bluff WPA tote from the same series, the Maka Oniye tote with Jim Yellowhawk’s Wind Cave artwork, and the Black Hills map canvas tote by Xplorer Maps. For more Jewel Cave, there is the bighorn long-sleeve tee.
