Alvarado Hotel Room #118 Key and Tag
AssociationAssociated with
Alvarado Hotel, Fred Harvey Co.
(1879 - 1970)
Dateca. 1940
Mediummetal, plastic
Dimensions7 7/8 × 2 1/8 × 3/8 in. (20 × 5.4 × 1 cm)
ClassificationsTools, Implements & Weights
Credit LineAlbuquerque Museum, gift of Nancy Tucker
Object numberPC2008.47.5
DescriptionThis metal key is paired with a brown, leather diamond-shaped key tag and metal key. The key tag has rounded edges and features embossed white lettering, which reads: "Alvarado / Albuquerque, New Mexico / Fred Harvey / 118 / Drop in any / Mailbox / We Guarantee / Postage." The design includes a hole at the top for attaching the keyring. The lettering is capitalized, 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 118, associated with this key tag, likely references one of the guest rooms in the hotel during its operational years. The reverse is blank. Guaranteeing postage emphasized 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
Not on view
