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Wooden Plaque, Mountain Sheep on Crag

Roger Wolcott Toll, Rocky Mountain National Park Superintendent 1921-1929

National Park Service, Museum Management Program

National Park Service, Museum Management Program
United States

In 1921, Roger Wolcott Toll arrived as Superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park. Superintendent Toll was a Renaissance man: a writer, photographer, artist, and park manager. As Superintendent, he worked to make park improvements, assisted with rescue efforts, and publicized conservation efforts. Among his achievements were the advocacy and planning for the construction of Trail Ridge Road, and backcountry travel and climbing safety. He researched and wrote "The Mountain Peaks of Colorado" in 1923. By the 1920s, the park's mascot of a Bighorn sheep was already in use in maps, brochures, signage and artwork.


This woodcarving, made by Toll, depicts some of the best known and most iconic features of Rocky Mountain National Park. A blue sky above Longs Peak includes depiction of the Notch, and the crag in foreground is dominated by a Bighorn sheep ram. Paint colors are white, brown, and green. The carving's border is two inches wide, and is stained brown. A lightly incised solid Yellow Pine plank, the relief carving is fashioned out of a single piece of wood, and is representative of 1920s stylized art.


Metal hardware on each of the lateral corners allows for hanging this plaque.

Details

  • Title: Wooden Plaque, Mountain Sheep on Crag
  • Creator: Roger Wolcott Toll, Rocky Mountain National Park Superintendent 1921-1929
  • Contributor: Rocky Mountain National Park
  • Park Website: Park Website
  • Other Related Links: Collections
  • National Park Service Catalog Number: ROMO 2260
  • Measurements: L 92.0, W 46.0, D 5.0 cm
  • Material: Wood, with oil paint and wood stain
  • Date: ca. 1927

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