Group posed between auto and gigantic tree, overland auto route" western U.S."

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A group of travelers poses beside an automobile that looks small against an enormous tree, a scene the caption card ties to an overland auto route in the western United States. Around 1908, long-distance motoring was still an adventure, with few paved roads and drivers often relying on local directions, so pictures like this documented both the car and the journey. Giant trees such as the sequoias of California drew sightseers during these years, and placing people against them emphasized how far the automobile had reached. The record does not name the travelers or the exact route.

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