Day 309 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Antique Photo of Boulder Chamber of Commerce

This photo hangs outside the Spruce Room and reminds us that the Spruce Room once was the home of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce from the 1930s to the 1970s.

Day 278 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Antique Photo of Firefighting Drill

This antique photos is on display in a couple of places around the Hotel Boulderado, and what you are seeing is a drill being performed by the Boulder fire department in the early 20th century. This was a common for many of Boulder's earliest community events, for the fire department to show off their efficiency and speediness with which they could fight fires.

Day 266 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Lobby Tree from 1920s

Our annual Christmas tree will be delivered and decorated next week, so to celebrate I thought I would share a photo from the 1920s of a Boulderado Christmas lobby. This photo gave us the idea in 1988 to bring back the larger-than-life Christmas tree, which usually ranges in size from twenty-five to twenty-eight feet tall. Click here to learn more about our Christmas tree, and how it could help you win an overnight stay at the Hotel Boulderado!

Day 265 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Damaged Original Stained-Glass Ceiling

In a follow-up to yesterday's post, this black-and-white photograph shows the damage done to our lobby's original stained-glass ceiling in 1959. That Halloween, an early season snow storm hit Boulder and dumped heavy, wet snow across the city. The weight was too much for the skylights built into the the Hotel Boulderado's roof, which had been installed to allow the bright Colorado sunshine to stream through the stained glass into the lobby. One of the skylights broke, and the snow and debris fell through the canopy to the lobby's floor. Luckily, it was about 7:00am when it happened, and most of our guests were still sleeping in, so there were no injuries. I'm sure, however, that whoever was working behind the Front Desk that morning found this to be a very unique "wake up call."

Day 264 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Original Stained Glass Ceiling -- In Color!

This is my absolutely positively FAVORITE photo of the Hotel Boulderado that isn't available to the public, and I'll share why. This innocent looking photo is the only color photograph we have of the original stained-glass ceiling. You aren't able to see more because by this time, the ceiling had been damaged and the glass was waiting to be taken down.

Day 248 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Antique Photo of Taxi Drivers

Meet Florence Molloy and Mabel MacLeay, who started their own taxi business in Boulder in 1922 and became the city's first female taxi drivers. They spent a lot of time shuttling guests to the Boulderado, Chautauqua, and all around town. Click here to learn more about this fascinating piece of Boulder's history.

Day 217 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Antique Photo of Broadway and Pearl

This is one of our antique photos that should look very familiar if you're acquainted with the downtown Boulder area. This is the intersection of Broadway and Pearl, circa early 1900s. The building on the left side of the road now houses Weekends and the Downtown Boulder Inc office, among others, and the building on the other side is now Lindsey's Deli/Haagen-Daaz.

Day 187 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Boulder Prep Dance

People who stop by our lobby often inquire about this antique photo hanging above the Front Desk. Before there was Boulder High School, there was Boulder Prep School, and like many modern secondary schools, Boulder Prep offered its students an end-of-the-year dance (a prom, before there were proms!). Boulder Prep would use our lobby for their dance, and we would clear all the furniture away before they arrived. This photo captures one such dance dating back from the 1920s or 1930s.

Day 156 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Fred Weber Photo

The gentleman you see in this photo is Fred Weber, who was a bellman here at the Hotel Boulderado in 1910. Fred earned $10 a month on salary with $30 in tips during the same time period.

Day 95 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Antique Photo of Valentine's Hardware Store

You can find this same photo in a few different spots around the Hotel Boulderado. It's a photo taken of Valentine's Hardware Store, which used to be located at the corner of Broadway and Pearl Streets. The cash register in our lobby that I already introduced you to came to us from the same Valentine's Hardware Store.

Day 64 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Antique Photo of the Interurban Station

Here is another antique photo we have on display. Pictured above is the old Interurban Station that was found at the intersection of Broadway and Pearl Streets. The Interurban made regular runs between Denver, Boulder, and Greeley.

Day 3 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Antique Photo: Pearl and 13th St.

We keep antique photos all over the hotel, most of which capture what Boulder looked like in the early 20th century. The above photo is my absolute favorite in the entire building and can be found on the fifth floor of the historic section. Take a close look at it, and if you're familiar with downtown Boulder, you'll recognize the intersection of Pearl and 13th Streets. The left building now houses the Wells Fargo bank, and the building on the right is the site of the Boulder Cafe.