Blog

19 02, 2020

In a Different Light: Winslow Homer & Frederic Remington

2022-01-12T16:56:52-06:00February 19th, 2020|3 Comments

In March 2020, the Sid Richardson Museum will open In a Different Light: Winslow Homer & Frederic Remington. The exhibition will offer a reexamination of Remington alongside Homer, two giants in American art. Winslow Homer (1836-1910) was one of the most celebrated American painters of the 19th century. Likewise, Frederic Remington (1861-1909) is considered to be one of the greatest artists of the American West. Though born a generation apart, Homer and Remington were both at the height of their careers in the 1880s and 90s. Winslow Homer (1836-1910) | Two Figures by the Sea | 1882 | Oil [...]

15 01, 2020

The Lucky Wildcatter

2022-01-12T17:11:01-06:00January 15th, 2020|1 Comment

The Lucas gusher at Spindletop, January 10, 1901, Original photo by John Trost On January 10, 1901, Spindletop, the famous oil field in Beaumont, Texas, “gushered” in an era of transformation for the state of Texas. The development of oil in Texas helped transform its once rural economy to one spearheaded by the petroleum industry and, likewise, steered its population from rural to urban. In 1900, only 17% of Texans lived in urban centers while 83% of the state’s population was rural. Flash forward to a little over a hundred years later in 2010, when we see those numbers flipped [...]

18 12, 2019

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

2022-01-12T17:17:45-06:00December 18th, 2019|0 Comments

In 1948, A&M College of Texas (now A&M University), established the “Opportunity Award.” The scholarship intended to aid “worthy young men of Texas” who were unable to afford college without financial assistance. Sid Richardson contributed regularly to the fund for several years. Although he was a wealthy business man, Sid came from a humble background much like the young men the scholarship award supported. “I had it sort of rough when I was young, and I’d like to do something for underprivileged kids.” Jesse “Jack” Mercer Couch , 1951 Many of the recipients of the scholarship fund wrote Sid letters [...]

20 11, 2019

Sid Richardson Hosts the President

2022-01-12T17:24:04-06:00November 20th, 2019|0 Comments

**Researched and written by independent scholar Deborah Reed** How did the seventh child of an East Texas peach farmer and saloon owner become America’s richest man and host to the President of the United States?  Like any good story involving Sid Richardson, one should settle down for a spell of swapping spit over the fence. The first time Sid Richardson hosted a president was in the summer of 1937.  President Franklin D. Roosevelt left Washington for a fishing trip on the Texas coast Friday, April 30.  However, Richardson’s part of the story starts much earlier with meeting the President’s second [...]

16 10, 2019

The Most Famous Architect Nobody Knows

2022-01-12T17:33:33-06:00October 16th, 2019|0 Comments

Memories of Carroll Smith, Chief Draftsman for the Richardson/Bass Companies – 2006, Oral History conducted by former museum staff, Debi Carl. Debi Carl:  Tell me about the island.  I’ve never had the opportunity to go there.  I think I know the story about how Sid acquired it.   What I’ve heard Clint Murchison owned the one adjacent to it and Sid spent so much time down there that Clint said, “The one next door’s for sale, why don’t you just buy it?”  (Laughter) And he did. Carroll Smith:  He got it for a song.  He didn’t have to pay very much [...]

18 09, 2019

The Island Collection

2022-01-12T17:57:56-06:00September 18th, 2019|2 Comments

St. Joseph (San José) Island, 8 miles east of the coast of Rockport, TX, is a sand barrier island in Aransas County. The St. Joseph Island Ranch, a stretch of land 19 miles long and up to 5 miles wide, was purchased by Richardson in 1936. Exterior, Sid W. Richardson Residence | MAYNARD L. PARKER (1900-1976) | ca.1947 | Courtesy of The Huntington Library, San Marino, California “[Mr. Richardson] enjoyed [San Jose Island] because he could go down there and get away from everything and Perry [Sid’s nephew] liked that because he’d go down there and he liked to fish [...]

19 08, 2019

“A Fortune in Oils: Sid Richardson’s Personal Collection” Debuts at Sid Richardson Museum

2020-01-22T09:23:55-06:00August 19th, 2019|Comments Off on “A Fortune in Oils: Sid Richardson’s Personal Collection” Debuts at Sid Richardson Museum

For Immediate Release:  August 19, 2019 Media Contact: Lindsey Campbell, 210-223-2772 “A Fortune in Oils: Sid Richardson’s Personal Collection” Debuts at Sid Richardson Museum Special exhibit features a rarely seen look at the life of the man dubbed the “billionaire bachelor” (FORT WORTH, TX) – The Sid Richardson Museum is presenting a special exhibit to give visitors a more personal look at its namesake, Sid Williams Richardson. The limited-run exhibit, "A Fortune in Oils: Sid Richardson’s Personal Collection," will debut September 14, 2019 and will be on display through March 2020. "A Fortune in Oils" interweaves Richardson’s personal collection of Western [...]

16 08, 2019

A Fortune in Oils

2020-01-22T09:23:36-06:00August 16th, 2019|0 Comments

Opening September 14, 2019, A Fortune in Oils: Sid Richardson's Personal Collection is a special exhibition that honors Sid Williams Richardson (1891-1959), who left a legacy through his personal collection of western masterworks and the foundation he established in 1947. Woven through the letters, photographs, publications, and his beloved paintings on display is the story of a plain-spoken, unpretentious, and intensely private man whose wealth, earned principally from West Texas petroleum, enabled him to pursue his interests as a cattleman, philanthropist, and collector of paintings. Peter Hurd, Portrait of Sid Richardson, 1958, Oil on panel, 32 x 48 inches [...]

23 07, 2019

Sid Richardson Museum Names Scott Winterrowd Director

2020-01-22T09:21:14-06:00July 23rd, 2019|Comments Off on Sid Richardson Museum Names Scott Winterrowd Director

For Immediate Release:  July 23, 2019 Media Contact: Scott Winterrowd, 817.332.6554 Sid Richardson Museum Names Scott Winterrowd Director (FORT WORTH, TX) – Scott Winterrowd has been appointed director of the Sid Richardson Museum, effective July 1, 2019. He succeeds Mary E. Burke, who will assist with the leadership transition and retire August 31st after having directed the museum since January of 2012. "Scott Winterrowd is a widely-recognized leader in the field of museum education. He has a distinguished record of service spanning 24 years at some of our nation’s finest museums. He is well- prepared to lead the strong team [...]

17 07, 2019

The Great Outdoors

2020-05-28T18:18:00-05:00July 17th, 2019|0 Comments

Whether through canoeing, hiking, or camping, Frederic Remington was a man who loved the outdoors. The artist once wrote a friend, “if I had money enough I would live in a bark camp the year round.” The artworks on display in our current exhibit, Another Frontier: Frederic Remington’s East, depict landscapes with which the artist was familiar and personally enjoyed, from forested fields to choppy river waters. Thus the theme for this year’s Summer Camp @ The Sid: The Great Outdoors. During Summer Camp, our junior campers explored the many facets of our collection and special exhibition: looking for all [...]