Creative Connections

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, [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

It’s August, and for students in Texas, that means the beginning of another school year. For some students, this month marks the beginning of their college years and will perhaps set the direction of their future careers. For many co-eds, college will be a time to discover their path, as was the case for SRM artist, Frederic Remington. In the spring of 1878, Remington wrote to his Uncle Horace Sackrider, “I am going to try and get into Cornell College this coming June and if I succeed will be a Journalist. I mean to study for an artist anyhow, whether [...]

Happy Summer Solstice! Summer is a time for fun and adventure…in the garden! Vegetable gardens are in full bloom this season. In Texas, gardeners have to remain diligent about watering and protecting their precious plants from the brutal heat. In the Southwest, where it’s dry and arid, people have developed techniques in order to adapt their gardens to the environment. One such technique is practiced by the Zuni (A:shiwi) called Latdekwi:we, or waffle gardening. Timothy O'Sullivan. Gardens surrounding the Indian pueblo of Zuni, 1873. Stereograph. Source: Stereographs from geographical explorations and surveys west of the 100th meridian, expeditions of [...]

Dr. David Cross from TCU guides our class through the various stages of child brain development. The end of the year is a time for reflection and review. In the education department, much of our attention has been on training a new class of docents at the Sid. Over the course of 13 weeks we have learned so much. Scholars from near and far have taught us about the background of two iconic artists of the American West, Frederic Remington and Charles Russell, as well as the history surrounding the time period in which these two artists lived [...]

This month we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of “For Love of Russell,” a one-woman monologue of the life of cowboy artist Charles Russell as told by his wife and business manager, Nancy Cooper Russell. Visitors have an opportunity to experience the performance every Second Saturday of the month. The role of Nancy Cooper Russell is performed by one of our museum docents, Roberta Atkins. Roberta has been with the museum since the institution first embarked on a docent program in 1999. In 2005, when the museum closed for renovations, Roberta began to conceive and write what became the “For [...]

Fall is just around the corner and with it comes a new season of Tea & Talk. This program is geared towards adults who are interested in slowing down their art viewing process and digging a little deeper into our collection (and for those who enjoy a good cup of a tea afterwards!). For our first Tea & Talk of the 2016-2017 season we viewed and discussed a portrait painted by Charles Francis Browne, Nai-U-Chi: Chief of the Bow, Zuni 1895. Tea & Talk, September 2016, Sid Richardson Museum Charles Francis Browne, Nai-U-Chi: Chief Of The Bow, [...]

Have you ever kept a journal or a diary? Did you ever travel with your journal? In 1868, Texas cowboy Jack Bailey kept a journal of his experience on a cattle drive. It is one of the earliest known day-by-day, first-hand accounts of a cattle drive from Texas to Kansas during the period just after the Civil War. The era of the cattle drive was a short-lived period, from about 1865-1895. But it is from this period of the open-range cattle industry that many of the myths, legends, or heroic concepts we have of cowboys today was derived. It’s estimated [...]

The Texas Cattle Trail era is a mythological period of American history. The language and characters of the period have become part of our identity. You’ve heard of maverick politicians. Ever use the phrase “time to hit the trail?” Cattle herd and cowboy, circa 1902 After the Civil War, the cattle business blossomed, largely by the booming industry in the north and reconstruction in the south. From 1867 to 1895, over 98,250,000 cattle trailed from Texas to northern markets. Beef was starting to replace pork as the country’s preferred meat product. In 1867, Joseph G. McCoy, a visionary [...]