For your consideration are Vintage National Parks Travel Guides and Ephemera, circa 1909 to 1936. Parks included are Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, Hot Springs, Petrified Forest, Sequoia, Yosemite, and Zion. The history of the National Park Service (NPS) began decades before its formal establishment in 1916. While the "national park idea" is often credited to artist George Catlin in 1832, the movement gained momentum as 19th-century Americans shifted from viewing wilderness as a resource to be subdued to a heritage to be protected. Established by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872, Yellowstone became the world’s first official national park. Because it was located in a federal territory (not a state), it remained under federal control. Without a dedicated staff, the Secretary of the Interior tasked the U.S. Cavalry with protecting early parks from poachers and timber thieves. This military influence remains visible today in the traditional "campaign hat" worn by park rangers. By 1916, numerous parks and monuments existed without centralized management. Some of the park guides are from the United States Railroad Administration. Railroads were essential in creating and popularizing US National Parks, with rail lines often predating the 1916 establishment of the National Park Service (NPS). Companies like Northern Pacific and Union Pacific built branches to places like Yellowstone and Glacier, heavily marketing them to boost tourism while funding hotels and infrastructure to make parks accessible, creating a synergy between tourism and conservation. The guides and accompanying ephemera are in preserved condition, age tanning noted, slight tears observed. Each of the park guides are in clear protective plastic sleeves. Each measures 9"W x 11.25"L, collective weight is 2lb, 5oz.