Natural Hang-Ups

When Grand Teton National Park ranger Doug Leen walked into an abandoned barn in Jackson, Wyo., in 1974, he discovered one of only two original 1930s Works Progress Administration national park posters known to exist. This one--showing Grand Teton’s Jenny Lake--was being used to block a hole in the wall and keep birds out. Leen rescued the dogeared poster and had it reprinted in 1991 to commemorate the reconstruction of Jenny Lake. The sales inspired him to look into creating new WPA-style park art. His research unearthed 13 black-and-white photos of original national park posters. After studying the gray tones of those photos, park publications and Depression-era art to determine what colors the original posters likely would have been, he began re-creating them.

This month, the last of the posters based on those 13 photographs become available--including the Great Smoky Mountains, Petrified Forest and Carlsbad Caverns national parks. Leen also debuts a WPA-style poster--a serigraph of Devils Tower National Monument. $30 each; Parks Co., (888) 727-5726.