1955 Clements Die Cut Postcard of Lake Tahoe

A lively and amusing 1955 E. F. Clements pictorial die-cut postcard map of Lake Tahoe and surrounding communities. It captures the area at the height of a casino boom on the Nevada side of the border, which attracted celebrities and power players along with everyday tourists.

A Closer Look

Covering Lake Tahoe and its environs, this pictorial map emphasizes the recreational opportunities on both sides of the California-Nevada state line, clearly distinguished by the prevalence of gambling in Nevada. On both sides of the state line, scantily clad women predominate as they advertise the recreational activities, including boating, waterskiing, beachs, and clubs. Local landmarks are illustrated, including the Tahoe Tavern at left (originally constructed 1902). Clements has conveniently pre-filled text in faux handwriting for the sender. Towns around the lake are indicated, connected by the Rim of the Lake Drive (in 1965, several unincorporated communities, including Al Tahoe, Bijou, Stateline, and Tallac merged to form the city of South Lake Tahoe), while highways and roads leading to nearby cities are also noted.

Cal Neva

At the north end of the lake is the Cal Neva Lodge, which is bisected by the state line. First built in 1926, then rebuilt after a fire in 1937, the lodge attracted a who's who of political figures, mobsters, and celebrities in the 1950s and 1960s, including Joseph Kennedy, Sr., Marilyn Monroe, Sam Giancana, the Rat Pack, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and more. From 1960, Frank Sinatra was a part owner of the lodge, in addition to being a frequent guest, and gradually gained a majority share. Some of the other regulars attracted the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which suspended the lodge's license after Giancana, who was barred from casinos in Nevada, was seen at the Cal Neva. Ownership of the casino-lodge was a constant headache and source of controversy for Sinatra, who sold much of his interest in the structure by 1963 (the same year, his son was kidnapped from Harrah's in Stateline in a bizarre ransom scheme).

Lake in the Sky

Lake Tahoe has always been revered by those who visit it. It was the center of life for the Washoe people, who resided on its shores for centuries. Early American explorers Frémont and Preuss were mightily impressed, as were John Muir and Mark Twain. The 1858 discovery of the Comstock Lode in nearby Virginia City brought miners and settlers, followed by loggers who cut down nearly all the existing forest. Tourism developed somewhat slowly but increased in pace with the widespread adoption of automobiles. The legalization of gambling in Nevada in 1931 provided an additional reason for Californians to visit Lake Tahoe, and the growth of California's population in the postwar period saw a concurrent boom in casinos on the Nevada side of Tahoe. The development of better highways, including interstates, and the 1960 Winter Olympics, held nearby at Squaw Valley, solidified Lake Tahoe's place as a premier vacation destination in the Western U.S.

Publication History and Census

This postcard was designed and published by E. F. Clements in San Francisco. It is undated, but likely dates from the mid-1950s, at the height of Lake Tahoe's casino boom but before the 1960 Olympics. We are not aware of any institution holding this piece among their cataloged collections.