Synopses & Reviews
From its vantage point in Oklahoma City, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum commands a rare view of the American West. In half a century it has grown from a Hall of Fame honoring the American cowboy to a world-class institution housing extraordinary collections of art, artifacts, and archival materials. A Western Legacy celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of this premier museum, offering both an institutional history and a captivating collection of photographs representing its extensive holdings.
Opening with a history of the museum by David Dary, A Western Legacy presents for the first time in one volume numerous color images of the museumand#8217;s signature artworks and artifacts, selected for their rarity, superior quality, or historic importance, each accompanied by an interpretive essay. These include examples of western art by Charles M. Russell, Frederic Remington, and others; stunning boots, chaps, and saddles; a diverse selection of traditional and fine art by American Indians; military artifacts; antique photographs; an assortment of rodeo trophies; superlative firearms; and memorabilia from the entertainment world.
This volume, which marks the inauguration of The Western Legacies Series, is a stirring testament both to the museumand#8217;s holdings and to the persistence of western heritage in a new century.
About the Author
Steven L. Grafe,and#160;Curator of Art at the Maryhill Museum of Art, is author ofand#160;Lanterns on the Prairie: The Blackfeet Photographs of WalterMcClintock and Peoples of the Plateau: The Indian Photographs of Lee Moorhouse, 1898andndash;1915.
In this first book to chronicle Palmore's four-decade career, Susan Hallsten McGarry explores the stories behind the man, his philosophy and techniques, and the themes that weave throughout his remarkable oeuvre. McGarry, who was editor in chief of Southwest Art magazine from 1979 to 1997, has authored numerous catalogs and monographs on American artists.
Charles E. Rand directs the Donald C. and Elizabeth M. Dickinson Research Center at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
Richard C. Rattenbury earned a B.A. degree in history from Texas Christian University and an M.A. in museum studies from Texas Tech University. Rattenbury formerly held curatorial positions with the Winchester Museum at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming, and with the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Canyon, Texas. He has served as curator of history at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum since 1987 and is the author of Hunting the American West, The Art of American Arms Makers, and Packing Iron: Gunleather of the Frontier West. Richard resides with his wife, Suzette, in Edmond, Oklahoma.David Dary is Professor Emeritus and former head of what is now the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. He is the author of more than 20 books, including Red Blood and Black Ink; The Oregon Trail: An American Saga; and Stories of Old-Time Oklahoma.
Ed Muno is former Curator of Art at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and an object photographer of wide repute.