Poster Exhibition Explores the Creation of Western Myths on Buffalo Bill’s Wild West

More than 30 posters printed more than 100 years ago are part of a new exhibit at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Some posters feature characters from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show and scenes re-enacted during the show.

Buffalo Bill Museum curator Jeremy Johnston said part of the exhibit, “Advertising the Frontier Myth: Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Poster Art,” examines how the exhibit was promoted and the printers who produced the posters.

“But at the same time, we wanted people to stop and think about the history and the myths. So what we see in these posters are selected events from the history of Western expansion that become the myth of the American frontier,” he said.

Johnston said the Pony Express depicted on the show’s posters is a great example of a legendary cultural icon that had a lasting mythic impression.

“The Pony Express only lasted a year and a half, but thanks to Buffalo Bill, many Americans assume that every town had a Pony Express and it lasted throughout the 1860s until the end of the border in the 1890s, which is simply not the case, he said.

The exhibition also explores the challenges of caring for and preserving works of art printed on paper.

Sam Hanna, Buffalo Bill’s assistant curator, co-curated the exhibit and said he hopes visitors can not only learn about the images in the posters and how those stories have shaped our perception of the West, but also on how to protect personal items such as photographs. and documents.

“We hope they can leave with some tips that will help them better care for some of their own treasures: techniques for limiting exposure to light and a selection of materials that will help them better handle and store their items at home,” he said. said.

The exhibit includes interactive elements, such as a magnifying glass to examine posters of different qualities, as well as a digital component where visitors can view posters not currently on display.

Some of the posters in the exhibition are on view for the first time at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, including some from the Jack Rennert Collection recently acquired by Naoma J. Tate and the family of Hal R. Tate. The West Center has one of the largest collections of posters, including over 300 originals ranging from window to billboard size.

“Advertising the Frontier Myth: Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Poster” opens to the general public at the Buffalo Center of the West on Saturday and runs through October 24.

There are also two companion exhibits: one from the Cody Firearms Museum that features firearms used by Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show performers and another with related photographs from the McCracken Research Library.