Alvarado Hotel Room #90 Key and Tag
Dateca. 1940
Mediummetal, plastic
Dimensions5 × 1 1/4 × 5/8 in. (12.7 × 3.2 × 1.6 cm)
ClassificationsTools, Implements & Weights
Credit LineAlbuquerque Museum, gift of Bill Douglas
Object numberPC2009.2.6
DescriptionThis object is a Schlage-branded brass key paired with a green, elongated oval-shaped plastic key tag manufactured by the W.W. Wilcox Manufacturing Company in Chicago. The key tag has rounded edges and features embossed white lettering, which reads: "ALVARADO HOTEL / ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO / PLEASE RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED." The design includes a hole at the top for attaching the keyring. The lettering is clean and evenly spaced, with a simple, utilitarian font characteristic of mid-20th century hotel key tags. The Alvarado Hotel, located at 110 First Street Southwest, Albuquerque, New Mexico, was a major landmark of the Southwest and part of the Fred Harvey Company’s chain of hotels. It opened in 1902 as part of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway system, serving as a gateway for rail passengers traveling through the region. Renowned for its Pueblo Revival architecture and cultural significance, it was a hub for tourists and locals alike. Room 90, associated with this key tag, likely references one of the guest rooms in the hotel during its operational years. The inclusion of "POSTAGE GUARANTEED" on the key tag emphasizes the importance of guests returning misplaced keys, which would have been mailed back to the hotel using a prepaid service. This practice was common in the mid-20th century to ensure that hotels could maintain their supply of reusable metal keys.On View
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