The face of Hoover (Boulder) Dam, taken from the downstream side of the dam on the Nevada side. May, 1947. The intake towers are visible in the background. The Arizona spillway is visible at the far right of the photograph. During the years of lobbying leading up to the passage of legislation authorizing the dam in 1928, Hoover Dam was originally referred to "Boulder Dam" or as "Boulder Canyon Dam", even though the proposed site had shifted to Black Canyon. The Boulder Canyon Project Act of 1928 (BCPA) never mentions a proposed name or title for the dam. When Secretary Wilbur spoke at the ceremony starting the building of the railway between Las Vegas and the dam site on September 17, 1930, he named the dam "Hoover Dam", citing a tradition of naming dams after Presidents, though none had been so honored during their terms of office. After Hoover's election defeat in 1932 and the accession of the Roosevelt administration, Secretary Ickes ordered on May 13, 1933 that the dam be referred to as "Boulder Dam". In the following years, the name "Boulder Dam" failed to fully take hold, with many Americans using both names interchangeably and map makers divided as to which name should be printed. In 1947, a bill passed both Houses of Congress unanimously restoring the name to "Hoover Dam".

Hoover (Boulder) Dam, taken from the downstream side of the dam on the Nevada side, May, 1947. The intake towers, several electric line towers, and the Arizona spillway are visible. During the years of lobbying leading up to the passage of legislation authorizing the dam in 1928, Hoover Dam was originally referred to "Boulder Dam" or as "Boulder Canyon Dam", even though the proposed site had shifted to Black Canyon. The Boulder Canyon Project Act of 1928 (BCPA) never mentions a proposed name or title for the dam. When Secretary Wilbur spoke at the ceremony starting the building of the railway between Las Vegas and the dam site on September 17, 1930, he named the dam "Hoover Dam", citing a tradition of naming dams after Presidents, though none had been so honored during their terms of office. After Hoover's election defeat in 1932 and the accession of the Roosevelt administration, Secretary Ickes ordered on May 13, 1933 that the dam be referred to as "Boulder Dam". In the following years, the name "Boulder Dam" failed to fully take hold, with many Americans using both names interchangeably and map makers divided as to which name should be printed. In 1947, a bill passed both Houses of Congress unanimously restoring the name to "Hoover Dam".

Downstream face of Boulder Dam at night

View of the Hoover Dam from above. Written on the bottom of the postcard is: "Boulder Dam and Fortification Mt[?] 660 Vegas Studio."

Photographic postcard showing the newly completed Hoover Dam and intake towers. Description given on bottom of photograph: "Boulder Dam upstream face and intake towers. Note newly constructed Highway which connects Kingman, Arizona with Boulder City, Nevada."

A painted photo depicting Lake Mead and Hoover (Boulder) Dam. Text on front of post card: "Lake Mead in Black Canyon, Boulder Dam", "Boulder Canyon Project of the Business of Reclamation"; Text on back of post card: "Lake Mead is quite narrow, just above Boulder Dam, yet more than 500 feet deep, where it is confined between the somber cliffs of Black Canyon gorge. Beyond the gorge the waters spread extensively over the desert valleys to form a vast lake 115 miles in length, with a shoreline of more than 550 miles - the largest man-made lake in the world. Comfortable cruisers make regular scheduled excursions on Lake Mead."