Blog

18 07, 2018

Come Ride East With Us

2020-01-17T16:16:43-06:00July 18th, 2018|1 Comment

When visitors enter the museum, usually they are immediately greeted by a portrait of Sid Richardson, which was painted by the American artist Peter Hurd. But starting today, a different gentleman will be welcoming our guests; Henry Lloyd Herbert to be exact. Mr. Herbert served as Chairman of the Polo Association from 1890 to 1921 and helped found the Meadow Brook Club on Long Island, New York. Frederic Remington | A Hunting Man (In Full Pursuit: H.L. Herbert Taking A Wall) | 1890 | Oil on canvas | Private Collection Frederic Remington painted a portrait of Mr. Herbert [...]

20 06, 2018

When Camping Goes Awry

2020-01-17T16:13:17-06:00June 20th, 2018|0 Comments

It’s summer time, which for some also means vacation time. For those who are looking to escape to the great outdoors, camping is a fun way to enjoy “ma nature.” Charles Russell enjoyed being outdoors and went on several camping trips, including a few with friend and pioneer dude rancher, Howard Eaton. After one such trip, Charlie’s wife Nancy recounted to a friend, “This trip has been a trip of memories. Chas. just loved it all and had such a good time every day then around the camp fires at night they always had the big talk.” Russell gifted to [...]

16 05, 2018

Finding Remington’s Signature

2020-01-17T16:10:06-06:00May 16th, 2018|14 Comments

Scholars consider Frederic Remington to be one of the most copied American artists. While compiling a catalogue raisonné[1] of Remington’s paintings, the review committee examined nearly 500 two-dimensional works. Of those submissions, only 22% were deemed original. The rest were copies, fakes, and forgeries. What’s the difference between a fake, forgery, or copy? A fake is a painting that does not relate to any known Remington work but is given a fraudulent Remington signature and is of a subject that might have interested him. A forgery occurs when someone takes an artist’s work, paints out his or her signature, and [...]

18 04, 2018

Auasini: The Place That Feeds You

2020-01-17T16:08:30-06:00April 18th, 2018|0 Comments

Charles M. Russell, When Blackfeet and Sioux Meet, 1908, Oil on canvas, 20 1/2 x 29 7/8 inches In our ongoing efforts to learn more about the various American Indian cultures represented in our collection - like the Blackfeet depicted in many of Charlie Russell’s paintings - The Sid recently hosted a training for our docent volunteers led by Dr. Michael Wise, an Assistant Professor of History at the University of North Texas, where he specializes in the history of the American West. Dr. Wise has studied many aspects of the food histories and cultural environments of the [...]

21 03, 2018

Bronze Or Bust

2020-01-17T16:06:33-06:00March 21st, 2018|2 Comments

If you took an art class in school or just for fun, you’ve probably had the opportunity to make some kind of sculpture, whether with clay, plaster, play-doh, or other materials. But how many of us have experienced casting a sculpture out of bronze? Bronze is the most popular metal for casting sculptures, and was a material with which both Charlie Russell and Frederic Remington cast their many bronze pieces, including those currently on display in our galleries. How does one cast a bronze sculpture? Photo credit: OKFoundryCompany When casting metal, there are a lot of challenges you [...]

21 02, 2018

Millie Ringgold and “Coal Oil Johnny”

2020-01-17T16:02:52-06:00February 21st, 2018|4 Comments

In 1907, Charlie Russell paid tribute to Montana resident, Millie Ringgold, in his painting “Utica.” A musical person, Millie often played songs while drumming her empty five-gallon coal oil can, which can be scene prominently in Russell’s painting. In honor of Black History Month, join us as we follow the story of a freed slave, her favorite song, and the first great cautionary tale of the oil age. The following article was researched and written by SRM docent, S. Mark Clardy. Millie Ringgold Millie Ringgold was born a slave in Maryland in about 1845.  After the Emancipation Proclamation, [...]

17 01, 2018

Ma Nature

2020-01-17T16:01:03-06:00January 17th, 2018|3 Comments

A few months ago, the museum hosted a lecture by Byron Price, Director of Charles M. Russell Center for the Study of Art of the American West at the University of Oklahoma. During the program, Price discussed Charles Russell’s depictions of wild animals, which comprise roughly a quarter of the artist’s total production of paintings, drawings and sculpture! Even when animals are not the principal focus of a particular work, their presence is often palpable in the skins, horns, bones and effigies the artist added to many scenes in the interest of authenticity and allegory. Byron Price’s presentation explored Russell’s animal [...]

20 12, 2017

The Sid Winter Count

2020-01-17T15:59:11-06:00December 20th, 2017|2 Comments

Historically, some indigenous communities shared their history through oral tradition. But sometimes, they used other tools to help them remember their long and complex histories. Among Northern Plains Indians, one of those tools was a winter count, which helped keep track of the passage of years. In this case, the year was not measured from January through December, but rather from first snowfall to the following year’s snowfall. Different groups from the Northern Plains region sometimes referred to this entire year as a winter. At the end of the year, elders in the various communities would meet to discuss the [...]

15 11, 2017

The Tangled Tales of Barbed Wire

2020-01-17T15:55:12-06:00November 15th, 2017|2 Comments

Three of the often cited reasons for the closing of the frontier of the American West typically include the telegraph, the transcontinental railroad, and barbed wire. Display of different types of barbed wire. Cattle Raisers Museum. Fort Worth, TX. So you may be surprised to learn that large scale manufacturing of barbed wire began first in the Mid-West in central Illinois (1874-75) before expanding to the American West. The invention of barbs also made its way into other preventative products, such as calf weaners, cattle yokes & pokes, and even into poison bottle designs. Joel Horn Breachy Cattle [...]

5 10, 2017

Viva el vaquero!

2020-01-17T15:53:47-06:00October 5th, 2017|3 Comments

From September 15 – October 15, as a nation we observe and celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. This time is an opportunity to recognize and honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of fellow Americans whose families and ancestors immigrated from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central & South America. By Doerr & Jacobson -- Photographer - Original source: Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views. / United States. / States / Texas. / Stereoscopic views of San Antonio, Texas. (Approx. 72,000 stereoscopic views : 10 x 18 cm. or smaller.) digital record. This image is available from the New [...]