THE WEST IN OBJECTS, IMAGES, AND COUNTRY MUSIC Along an itinerary designed to evoke a winding Western trail bathed in the bright light of the open plains, the dancing light of the prairies, or the spotlights of the stage, visitors can admire nearly 700 collection pieces. Here are just a few: Concord Stagecoach, late 19th century Hack Passenger Wagon #8084 Stanstead Historical Society Collection, Colby-Curtis Museum Up until 1893, the Concord stagecoach was the principal means of transportation in the West. First built in 1820 in the workshops of the J. S. Abbot & Son Company in Concord, New Hampshire, it seated 16 passengers inside and on the roof. After 1893, its successor was a lighter and therefore faster stagecoach, but not as sturdy. The new model was for short distances on fairly level terrain. Exposed as they were to dust, bad weather, and bad roads, passengers arrived at destination somewhat weary from their trip. This stagecoach, restored in 1988, was the smallest model built by the Abbot-Downing firm in Concord, New Hampshire. It was still in use during the 1890s between Stanstead and Rock Island, carrying four to six passengers and featuring a luggage rack on the roof and in the rear and leather shades that rolled up or down depending on the weather. Like most stagecoaches, it is brightly colored. Biographical Buffalo Skin Robe, circa 1880 By White Swan and other Crow Skin, painting Donation from Isabel Haynes, Haynes Foundation Collection, Montana Historical Society, Helena Painted buffalo robes were first and foremost used as decorations and objects of exchange between various Amerindian nations. Today, they provide important ethnographic information. The images tell stories and often depict hunting or war scenes, making them an artistic account of a key part of native history. Woolen Leggings or Chaps Woollies 1920 Leather, Angora wool Joe Grandee Collection, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City In the northern states, especially Montana and Wyoming, cowboys wore woollies—chaps made of sheep’s wool or fur—to protect themselves from the cold when herding cattle. Rodeo Queen’s Grand Entry, 1972 Robert Scriver (1914-1999) Bronze Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta The men and women of the rodeo is an important theme in the works of sculptor Bob Scriver, who first tackled this subject in 1967. A Show Saddle by Edward H. Bohlin, 1935 National Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City Edward H. Bohlin was born in Sweden in 1895. At 15 he set off for North America, where he would soon open a store in Cody, Wyoming. He later moved to Hollywood, where he sold his Western items to movie star Tom Mix and began producing silver saddles and belt buckles for many American film stars. Based in Los Angeles today, the Edward H. Bohlin Company remained under the direction of Bohlin from its beginnings in the 1920s until his death in 1980. Trophy Saddle, 1959 Leather, silver, metal On loan from Jim Shoulders, deposited at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City A saddle is awarded to champions in certain rodeo events in place of a trophy. This saddle by famous saddlemaker Don King (born in 1923) was awarded in 1952 to Jim Shoulders, the PRCA World Champion All-Around Cowboy. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West (poster), circa 1900 Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming The Wild West Show re-enacted stories of the West. Cowboys, cavalry soldiers, and Indians were featured in buffalo-hunting numbers, train robberies, and Indian wars. Over time, other equestrian numbers with vaqueros and cossacks were added. The cast included men, women, and children, some of whom were especially adept at handling rifles and lassos. Huge posters illustrating the numbers that would be presented announced the troupe’s arrival in cities. The same themes were found on the covers of dime store novels in both North America and Europe. Hank Snow Stage Costume, 1914-1999 Made by Nudie Cohn (1902-1984), Los Angeles Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville, Tennessee Singers and actors prided themselves in wearing outfits made by Nudie Cohn, a master tailor of Western clothing. Hank Snow’s difficult childhood resembled that of Huckleberry Finn from the tales of Mark Twain (1835–1910). The Nova Scotia native dreamed of the Texas Rangers and the songs of Jimmie Rodgers. The “Singing Ranger,” a Nashville star in the fifties, was the first to record duets with guitarist Chet Atkins. Guitar with Drawing of the Lone Ranger, circa 1950 Wood, painting, metal Musée de la civilisation, Québec City Actor Clayton Moore (1914–1999) portrayed the Lone Ranger on TV from 1949 to 1952 and from 1954 to 1957, having previously appeared in a number of Westerns. In 1949, after filming The Ghost of Zorro, director George Trendle (1884–1972) gave him the movie role of the Lone Ranger. The industry exploited every marketing trick in the book—accessories, gadgets, a comic strip, children’s clothing... Dolly Parton’s Dress (née Dolly Rebecca Parton) Dollywood Foundation, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee Dolly Parton once said, “I give birth every time I write a song.” A renowned singer and songwriter, Dolly Parton is the picture of success. Dumb Blonde (1967) and Just Because I’m a Woman (1968) launched her career at the height of the women’s liberation movement. Works by Will James Horse tamer, author, illustrator, and Hollywood stuntman and actor Will James—a.k.a. Québec native Ernest Dufault—lived out his dream of becoming a cowboy. In a hall adjacent to the exhibition are works by James from the Mr. and Mrs. A. P. Hayes collection—oil and watercolor paintings, pencil and ink drawings, novels, and photographs. These pieces, being exhibited outside the United States for the first time ever, include the following: A Heeler in the Slack, 1929 Will James (1892-1942) Oil on canvas This work was meant to illustrate the classical edition of Smoky, but was sold instead to Cleveland industrialist George Gund, who later admitted that the painting had inspired him to buy a ranch and collect Western art. Plus... • An impressive mounted bison o traditional cowboy gear (boots, hats, chaps…) • movie posters, scripts, costumes, and props (a Gene Autry costume, a sculpture of John Wayne, and more) o original comic strip art (Durango, Jerry Spring, Pit Verchères, and others) • singers’ and musicians’ costumes and accessories (Hank Snow, Marcel Martel…) • female singers’ dresses and stage ensembles (Renée Martel, Shania Twain, and others) • musical instruments o cowboy boots given to Jacques Chirac by Bill Clinton • the Ranch à Willie set used in the TV series Willie • items from modern-day rodeos and Western festivals (including a miniature Saint-Tite village) • and photographs by Jean Vachon (2001 Lux Québec grand prize award winner, series of published portraits), who presents stunningly lifelike portraits from the last edition of the St-Tite Western Festival. You can also watch… • The first scripted Western, The Great Train Robbery, directed by Thomas A. Edison and directed in 1903 by Edwin S. Porter, and original productions created specifically for the exhibition: Pushing Back the Frontier (2002), Adventures in the Far West (2002), and Cowboy at Heart (2002) And you can listen to… • Mon enfant, je te pardonne (Paul Brunelle) • Le yodel des prairies (Manon Bédard) • Si un enfant savait (Édouard Castonguay and his family) • Walking After Midnight (Patsy Cline) • La musique du Tennessee (Denis Champoux) • Toune d’automne (Les Cowboys Fringants) • Les cow-boys du Québec (Julie Daraîche) • Tu m’aimes-tu (Richard Desjardins) • Si j’avais un char (Steve Faulkner) • C’est par amour que je chante (Georges Hamel) • Mille après mille (Willie Lamothe) • Regarde l’étoile (Lise Lapointe) • Nous, on aime la musique country (Renée Martel) • Always On My Mind (Willie Nelson) • Quand on est en amour (Patrick Normand) • Pagayez (Zachary Richard) • Looking For A New Mama (Jimmie Rodgers) • Une autre chambre d’hôtel (Gildor Roy) • French Song (Lucille Star) • Papillons chrysanthèmes (Mara Tremblay) • Man! I Feel Like A Woman (Shania Twain) • and many other songs sung by Gene Autry, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, the Daraîche family, Carole Laure, Kenny Rogers, and more. A WILD AND WOOLLY RIDE THROUGH THE IDEALIZED WEST Informations: Serge Poulin, [418] 643-2158 Relations publiques et communications Issued : April 10, 2002

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