The New Mexico History Museum has an exhibit on the history of the Fred Harvey Company. The exhibit details greatly enhanced our knowledge and enjoyment of our Harvey House tours. “Artifacts in the exhibit include: the original Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway track sign for Albuquerque’s Alvarado Hotel; Harvey Girl uniforms (including the unique embroidered blouse worn by La Fonda waitresses in the 1950s); furniture designed by famed architect and interior decorator Mary Colter; hand-stamped Navajo spoons; Fred Harvey’s original datebook and an iconic painting of the man behind the empire. Other artifacts include a gong similar to ones that rang travelers to their meals (this one hung in the company’s Chicago office) and an original Doris Lee painting while helping to plan MGM’s The Harvey Girls, starring Judy Garland. The image Lee created was adopted by the Harvey Company and used on menus at El Navajo in Gallup and El Tovar at the Grand Canyon.”
