A poster exhibition looks at the history and creation of the myths of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

Millions more people saw the posters advertising Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show than the show itself. So says poster art expert Jack Rennert, author of the book “100 Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Posters.”

Before performances of the show in American cities, according to Rennert, posters with characters and scenes from the show were taped to buildings and placed on fences, sometimes within a 200-mile radius of where the show was taking place. show.

These posters offer a window into how the show helped shape the history and myths of the West. Now, a new exhibit opening at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West also explores the challenges of preserving and exhibiting these posters printed more than 100 years ago.

Wyoming Public Radio’s Olivia Weitz spoke with curatorial assistant Sam Hanna about the new exhibit and the careful steps taken to display the exhibit’s posters.

Editor’s note: This story has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Olivia Weitz: Tell us about the poster exhibition. What is it about? And what topics will people discover during their visit?

Sat Hannah: Buffalo Bill’s Wild West did much to shape the world’s perception of the American West and, to some extent, America as a whole. To this day, some people believe that all Americans wear cowboy hats, and this is largely due to the images that were subjected to popular consciousness during the Wild West series’ decades of touring around the world. This exhibition will examine some of the themes presented by the Wild West show that served to create this enduring imagery associated with the West. And we’ll look at the publication history of the show’s posters. We will also look at some of the challenges of caring for these works.

OR : I know it’s hard to choose a favorite poster, but I’d love to know which one is your favorite. Tell us about it. Give us a visual of this poster.

HS: Well, thanks for not asking me to pick a favorite. But there are a few that I find particularly interesting. Sometimes we see examples of different publishers sharing illustrations, usually with simple changes to the texts, such as language changes between American and European printers. And the two I’m thinking of specifically right now are a case of artwork shared by the Courier Company of Buffalo, New York, and the printer Weiners of Paris. They depict Buffalo Bill examining various military personnel from around the world. What is remarkable about these posters is that the graphics are changed in the French version to place the French soldier more in the center of the image and closer to Buffalo Bill. I find them interesting, because at first glance they appear to be almost duplicates. But upon examination, there are subtle differences that make them all more special.

OR : Sam, I’ve heard you talk about these posters as works of art in themselves. And more than 30 original posters will be exhibited. What really sets them apart visually?

SH: These are the posters which would announce the arrival of the show. They were visually appealing with spectacular artwork. They attracted the audience to the show. And those were probably the images that stayed with (viewers) long after they saw the show. What really strikes me, though, about these particular ones in the series is that some of them are at this point on the order of 140 years old. And they are still in wonderful condition (even though) as ephemera…they were never meant to survive. They were never meant to stay. They were intended to be demolished or posted. So the fact that they’re here is very, very special.

OR : Tell us about the challenges of curating and preserving these posters. What types of conditions or situations caused their deterioration?

HS: The delicate nature of the paper itself poses the major challenge and challenge in preserving these posters. Exposure to light, especially sunlight, variations in temperature and humidity, and damage from handling are our main concerns and the main things we try to control.

OR : The Buffalo Bill Center of the West has one of the largest collections of original Buffalo Bill posters. Sam, can you take us behind the scenes of the museum and explain how the museum takes care of these posters in a way that ensures that these posters last long into the future?

HS: Our goal with all of our items is to preserve them for as long as possible, so that they are available for future generations. To take care of it, we manage the factors we talked about earlier. Light levels are kept to a minimum and exposure is minimized outside of viewing hours. Temperature and humidity are closely monitored and controlled. And we take care to handle objects correctly and only when necessary.

OR : Have you ever wondered why the museum doesn’t display these posters all the time? Why can’t you come and see all these posters?

HS: We are very frequently asked about works that a guest may have seen exhibited in the past. And I hope that sections of this exhibition will answer that question. Regular rest in the darkness of our vaults is a necessary part of our care for works on paper such as posters.

OR : When you talk about this rest period, what does that look like in terms of how long objects are on display, and then how long they typically rest?

HS: Our goal is to let an object rest for two years, after six months of exposure.

OR : When people come to the exhibition and learn about some of the challenges of preserving these posters, what do you hope they take away?

HS: We very much hope that people will come away with a greater appreciation of these works and some of the stories they tell. And since much of this applies to documents, photographs and more, we hope they can come away 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. they handle and store their objects better at home.

OR : The exhibition, titled “Advertising the Myth of the Frontier: Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Poster Art,” opens May 18. People can see these posters up close, and it appears that it also has interactive elements. Tell us about that.

HS: In the paper care section, people will be able to closely examine a poster using a flashlight and magnifying glass and look for and identify different types of damage to the paper. They will also be able to view digital images of posters that are not currently on display. And they can even join the show by including themselves in a Wild West poster.

OR : Wow, that looks like so much fun! Thanks Sam for joining us. Sam Hanna is the curatorial assistant at the Buffalo Bill Museum. He co-curated a new exhibition on the posters used to advertise Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show.