Western – Pamplin Collection

Flaming Frontiers

Myrian Cavalli — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 01:50:00 +0000

Posters promoting two (of 15) 1938 films made by Universal Studios

that depicted the adventures of Tom Grant, a gold prospector “out west.” The Pamplin Collection has one of the largest collections of early movie posters in the country, adding several dozen to its holdings every year.

Rough Customer

Myrian Cavalli — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 16:06:02 +0000

by Burt Proctor (1901-1980, American).

Proctor became a painter of western landscape and of cowhand scenes with men on horseback. Much of his painting was done in his leisure time afforded by his early career as mining engineer and later as a successful commercial illustrator. Of his early talent, it was said he painted horses before he could walk.

Home on the Range

Myrian Cavalli — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 19:30:04 +0000

by Lon Magargee (1883-1960, American).

At age 13, Magargee ran away from his upper-class Pennsylvania home and went West in 1896, led by his zest for the wild and adventuresome life. Here he established a reputation as a cowboy painter and illustrator with work most associated with Arizona Brewing Company ads featuring humorous aspects of cowboy life. In his youth, he worked as a free-lance cowboy, exhibition roper, poker dealer, and bronco buster in Arizona. Lon Magargee, considered “the dean of Arizona cowboy artists,” recognized for his interpretive abilities, he was commissioned by Arizona’s first governor, George W.P. Hunt, to create 15 murals for the new Arizona State Capitol building to celebrate Arizona’s entry as the nation’s 48th state (1912). Maragee’s long career also included a stint as a painter for the WPA during the Great Depression.

Santa Fe Rides (1937)

Myrian Cavalli — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 16:52:44 +0000

The Transcontinental Broadcasting Company sends a sound truck and equipment to a ranch to obtain an audition from “Santa Fe” Evans and his musical cowboys (Oscar Gahan, Lloyd Perryman, Robert “Curley” Hoag, Rudy Sooter and Sherry Tansey.) Carver, arch enemy of Evans and a rival for the love of Carol Sheldon, fails in an attempt to spoil the audition.

Carver frames Mr. Sheldon and Carol’s brother Buddy on a charge, by Al Jensen, of receiving cattle stolen from him by Evans. Carver blames Evans for all of the Sheldon’s troubles and, what with one thing or another, it looks like Evans and his cowhands will miss the big broadcast. Written by Les Adams. Part of a collection of early film posters and lobby cards numbering into the hundreds.

Gun Play (1935)

Myrian Cavalli — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 18:31:03 +0000

Intercepting Holt’s mail, Meeker learns a gold treasure is somewhere on the Holt ranch and he sees the clue to its location. When he solves the puzzle he learns the treasure location can be found in the boots. But he earlier discarded the supposedly worthless boots and seeing Bill Williams now wearing them, he and his men go after Williams. Written by Maurice VanAuken

Cowboys from Texas (1939)

Myrian Cavalli — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 18:28:05 +0000

Texas has opened up land for homesteaders. Clay Allison wants their land and has his men led by Plummer try to start a range war between them and the ranchers. With each side suspecting the other of their problems, the Mesquiteers realize someone else is responsible. Stony suspects Plummer and fakes leaving the Mesquiteers to join Plummer’s gang hoping to find out who it is. Written by Maurice VanAuken.

Buck Jones

Myrian Cavalli — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 19:11:19 +0000

The Pamplin Collection owns one of the largest western movie poster collections in private hands. Here is a poster of “Outlawed Guns,” starring the “B” western star Buck Jones. Although born in Indiana, Jones reportedly (but disputedly) grew up on a ranch near Red Rock, Oklahoma were he learned to ride and shoot, skills that he used in the movies.

Western

Myrian Cavalli — Fri, 15 May 2020 18:59:06 +0000

Buffalo rifles, the legendary “Big Gun” on the northern Plains. The weight and length of the barrels provided supreme accuracy and killing power. These were the types of guns that nearly extinguished the great buffalo herds in the 1880s and 1890s.

The painting of Sioux buffalo hunters, The Hunters, show hunters using a lance and a rifle, like those exhibited here. The watercolor is by Edward Borein (American, 1872-1945) who became one of the most popular artists of western scene painting. He was a close friend of Charlie Russell, Will Rogers, and Theodore Roosevelt.

Colt revolver one time belonging to an Indian scout for Colonel George Armstrong Custer’s ill-fated campaign during the summer of 1876.

The belt and bullets are Buffalo Soldier equipment.