A popular destination for Hollywood celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s, Palm Springs was a cowboy town back then. There were many stables and riding clubs, and horseback riding was one of the best ways to relax and experience the beauty of the desert.

This charming illustration of a cheerful cowboy playing his guitar astride a horse while the sun shines benevolently on him reflects the history of that golden era and was created for the Palm Springs Ranch Club, started in the 1950s.

This image was printed on restaurant dinner plates used in the clubhouse and also on menus. This menu was for a members’ holiday dinner.

Palm Springs Ranch Club later became a real estate development under owner Noel Clarke and famous mid-century modern architect Hugh Kaptur. 

They envisioned a 1,000 home neighborhood near the intersection of Vista Chino and Sunrise Way.

Although the pair’s dream of a large community failed to materialize, many of the Kaptur’s original designs are reflected in homes in the city’s Ranch Club neighborhood.