Yosemite National Park Souvenir Inkwell

Dating the Inkwell

• Era: Early 20th Century (1910s to 1920s).
• Clues:
  • The embossed front shield depicts an early motorized automobile driving through the trunk of the tree. Automobiles were officially permitted to enter Yosemite National Park starting in 1913, transforming the Wawona Tunnel Tree (in the Mariposa Grove) into an iconic photo-op and postcard motif for motorists during the “See America First” tourism boom of the 1910s and 1920s.
  • The copper-plated cast metal construction, weighted bell shape, and original molded glass insert are characteristic of desk accessories manufactured during the early National Park souvenir wave of that period.

Manufacturer Identification

• Specific Maker: Typically unmarked. Like many early-to-mid 20th-century national park souvenirs and novelty desk pieces, these items were produced by specialized novelty metal-casting foundries or novelty goods manufacturers for park concessionaires (such as the Yosemite Valley Railroad or early park operators) rather than being branded by a specific, easily identifiable manufacturer.