Date of use : 1943 USA

Unknown photographer USA

This envelope mailed from Manitou, Colorado illustrates the intersection of tourism photography and wartime postal practices in the United States. A faint printed heading in the upper left corner identifies the sender as a photographer located at the Mt. Manitou Scenic Incline in Manitou, Colorado. This reference points to a well-known scenic attraction situated near Colorado Springs at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The location became widely visited during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, attracting tourists who travelled to the region to experience mountain landscapes and recreational railways.

The Manitou Scenic Incline originally functioned as a steep railway used for infrastructure and transport purposes but later became a popular tourist destination. Photographers operating in such locations often specialized in souvenir photography. Visitors frequently had photographs taken during their excursions and later received printed copies by mail. The faint marking indicating a return address for the photographer suggests that the envelope may have contained a photographic print sent to a customer after the photograph had been developed.

A circular postmark indicates that the envelope passed through the Colorado Springs postal facility on July 21, 1943. This date falls during the period of the Second World War, when the United States was actively involved in the global conflict. The adhesive stamp bears the slogan "United Nations for Victory," a wartime design intended to emphasize solidarity among the Allied nations.

Another notable element on the envelope is the marking "Postage Due 1 Cent." Such markings were applied when an item entered the postal system with insufficient postage. In these cases, the receiving postal office collected the remaining amount from the recipient. The presence of a one-cent postage-due stamp confirms that an additional fee was charged in order to complete delivery.

This item is documented as part of the Photography in Postal History research project.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
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