The Scenic Limited – Missouri Pacific Lines

This year plan…the Vacation of a Thousand Wonders

This ingenious folding brochure was published in 1931 to promote railway tourism across the American West via the Missouri Pacific Lines (MPL). Both its form and content represent a creative approach to marketing during the Great Depression – a period of restricted travel expenditures and increased competition among railroad operators.

Addressed to the New York Central Depot Office and delivered with a 2-cent stamp, the mailer first shows quiet sepia-toned scenes amid the mountains, including one in which Native Americans are reverently admiring a vast canyon. Upon unfolding the first panels, the content begins to promote The Scenic Limited, running from St. Louis to San Francisco. The bold text corresponds with the physical action and the clever placement of the map provides a snapshot view of the entire MPL network. “On The Scenic Limited, All These Wonders of the Glorious West Unfold in Grand Array.”

One final reveal presents the brochure in its fullest extent in an entirely new, vibrant shade of green. A collage of idyllic scenes ranging from the Ozarks to Mexico and the Pacific Northwest are shown in broadsheet form. Exclamatory text at the top invites the audience to make their vacation dreams come true, with reassuring advice from the Passenger Traffic Manager, A.D. Bell, that agents are available to assist with all travel planning needs.