Sun Valley Olympian Vintage Art Deco Ski PosterThis Sun Valley Ski Poster was originally created in 1948 and is available as a high quality reproduction. The artist, Shepler was honoring Gretchen Fraser, winner of America's first Gold Medal in Olympic Alpine skiing! At the 1948 Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Gretchen won her Gold in Slalom and a Silver Medal in Alpine Combined. This was an amazing win for women racers. The beautiful Sawtooth Mountains, shown in the Ski Poster, are what attracted Austrian Count Felix Schaffgotsch. On the orders of Averell Harriman, Chairman of the Board, of the Union Pacific Railroad, the Count had been combing the country, looking for the perfect place to build America's first full-scale ski resort. All agreed the area was perfect and Harriman built Sun Valley, which opened for skiing in 1936. It had the first single chair lift in North America. Sun Valley was very popular with the Hollywood crowd. The accordion player Andy Brachli represents a tradition that is still present around Sun Valley; esp. at the historic Roundhouse restaurant which first opened in 1939. It is perched at 7,700 ft. on Bald Mountain which makes it a great place to stop skiing and eat a great lunch.
