My cousin, Lawrence "Larry" Lardinais (1905-1988), created this photo scrapbook following a trip to Yellowstone National Park in August, 1937, beginning in his home city of Toledo, Ohio. Accompanying him were his mother, Cornelia Lardinais, and a friend, Evelyn Martin. Larry is from a family whose history dates back to the early days of Toledo. He was a traffic manager for 45 years at the American Lincoln Company in Toledo. He also was a semi-professional photographer and took and developed many of the images in the scrapbook. The album contains hundreds of views documenting their trip to the west, including stops in Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska. The scrapbook encompasses not only Yellowstone but also includes photos of other parks such as the Grand Tetons, the Badlands, the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore (under construction), and Shoshone Dam. The scrapbook also includes a variety vintage guide brochures, decals, and maps. I procured the scrapbook following Larry's death at an estate sale at the family home on Freeman Street in Toledo.

Note written by Ted J. Ligibel