September 2011 - Vol 3, Issue 9
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Feature Story
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Dan Katz, an ardent collector from Connecticut, beautifully articulates his (and our) passion for collecting By Dan Katz, Collector Not everyone is a collector of anything. Though sometimes difficult for me to understand, the affliction which we label collecting, in fact, affects very few of us and a fair question arises as to what motivates the few who do enter the fray of the collector scene.
Two motivations for collecting stand out, I think. One is an interest in a general, broad area (art, antiques, western memorabilia) for the purpose of buying low and selling dear as a chosen way of making a living. The second, is an interest in a narrower area of the same category types but with no (or little) interest in resale. This is the more puzzling kind of collecting, the more peculiar kind of collector and, sadly for my family, the category into which I fall. For me, the chase is for lawman guns and badges, cowgirl guns from wild west shows, cowgirl trophy buckles and photographs.
Sure seems a useless way to spend time; a bunch of guns I don't shoot and won't sell, a pile of outdated badges, dozens of frilly buckles I can wear only in Palm Beach or Provincetown, MA, where they have no rodeos, and hundreds of photos I have little room to display. What the hell am I doing?
I am surrounding myself and my family with our uniquely American Heritage.
The guns and badges say that our constitutional respect for law was constant even during the lawless days of westward expansion; the cowgirl trophy buckles and wild west guns say that women were an integral (though under-appreciated) part of the country's growth and the western mystique with which we are so enamored; and the cowgirl photos remind me that, even in the tumultuous, unimaginably tough times of westward expansion, beauty and calm were present.
Collecting like that described above is more than acquisition. Even if pieces are sold off in order to make room for other items, such collecting becomes part of the person doing the collecting and, happily, becomes part of the self you take with you wherever you go. _________________
Dan Katz is one of our Smoke Signals readers who kindly shared his story with us. We encourage you to share yours!
You can email Dan at: [email protected]
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Featured Photography by Steve Bundy
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![Native American on the plain in full regalia](http://www.highnoon.com/SmokeSignals/Native-Omaha-AnthonyCC.jpg)
The photo this month is by Steve Bundy My goal is to capture and preserve the vast landscapes, crumbling buildings, rusting forgotten cars and evidence of diverse cultures that I find along the way between southern California and northern New Mexico - giving them new recognition, preserving them as they erode, before they melt back into the earth. When people view my images it is my hope that they see beyond my vision and experience their own feelings and emotions. Hopefully through my eyes they might gain a new perspective and see their world in a new and expanded way.
web: www.stevenbundy.com email: [email protected] |
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Did You Know?
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1. Atlatls (devices used to throw a spear with greater propulsion) began to be used in the Americas in the post-Pleistocene period and were eventually replaced by the bow and arrow. 2. One of the worst hell-holes of the Old West was Bodie, California which boasted numerous gunfights or death threats at all hours of the day. Some of these included a fight that ensued when a pool player took someone else's turn, a mountain man who insisted, at gunpoint, that he receive a drink in payment for a human ear he had recently sliced from an opponent, and a street fight that erupted when a man stepped on a cowboy's toe. Bodie women were not much better. On one such occasion, a school teacher horsewhipped a local doctor for gossiping about her. On another, the notorious female cardsharp, Madame Moustache, fought off two thieves after a night of winning, killing one and wounding the other.3. Provenance is a record of ownership for a work of art, ideally from the time it left the artist's studio to its present location, thus creating an unbroken ownership history.
If you have some interesting tidbits that you would like to share, send them to [email protected]
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Social Media News |
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Linda's Feed Bag
| ![High Noon logo](http://www.highnoon.com/SmokeSignals/cowboycoffee.gif) Sizzling Summer Cuban Pork Burger Join in the September heat with the biggest, baddest burgers out there!
6 Servings
4 pounds ground pork![Illustration of burgers on the barbi](http://www.highnoon.com/SmokeSignals/Burger-PhotoCC.jpg) 3 Tbs sweet pickle relish 1 (12 oz) jar spicy brown mustard, divided 1 pound bacon, diced 1 onion, diced 1 (14 oz) can sauerkraut, drained 1 cup butter, at room temperature 6 regular hamburger buns, halved 2 large sliced dill pickles � pound sliced Swiss cheese
1. In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork, relish and a tablespoon of mustard. (The relish keeps the pork moist.) Do not over-work, merely mix until ingredients are evenly combined. Divide the meat into 6 portions and form the burgers, matching the size to the buns (or slightly larger, as they tend to shrink).
2. Heat the grill or grill pan over medium-high heat until hot. Place the burgers on the grill to start cooking.
3. In a skillet heated over medium-high heat until hot (use a cast iron skillet if cooking on the grill), render the bacon, stirring frequently, about 6 minutes. Add chopped onion to the skillet and cook until the onion is softened, stirring frequently, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the sauerkraut with the bacon and onions, cooking down the mixture to marry the flavors. Continue to cook until the hamburgers are grilled on both sides, an additional 12-15 minutes. Remove the burgers and skillet from the heat, setting all aside to keep them warm.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter and remaining mustard, making about 2 cups of spread, slightly more than is needed for the remainder of the recipe. (It should keep 1 to 2 weeks, covered and refrigerated.)
6. Spread or brush the mustard butter over the cut halves of each bun, about 1 Tb. per half, depending on the size of the bun. Toast the buns on the cooler side of the grill or on the grill pan.
7. Assemble the burgers: Top each burger with the sliced pickle, kraut, bacon and onion mixture. Divide the sliced Swiss cheese among the burgers, covering each mound of toppings with cheese. Place the burgers back on the grill or on the grill pan, closing the grill or covering the pan with a top until the cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes.
8. Place the assembled burgers on the toasted buns and serve immediately.
Serve with very cold beer!
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Help us "Put on the Feed Bag!" Appetize us with your favorite cowboy cuisine. Send us a recipe or culinary creation - keeping the traditions of the American West alive is about the great food too! From ribs to rhubarb, campfire food to a great bowl of chili - we Wild West epicureans want to know. Submissions welcome at [email protected].
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Bits & Pieces
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High Noon 2012
Dealer Update from "T" Dear High Noon Dealers,
2012 High Noon Dealer Contracts will be mailed from the High Noon office between September 15th and the end of this month, and are due on Halloween (Oct 31st). When you receive your packet, please take a few minutes to read through the enclosed 2012 Dealer Information sheet, as it is part of your contract. Please feel free to contact me at the High Noon office if you have any questions or concerns. We'll see you down the trail... T
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Collector News
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Frontier Project:
John Moyers
The Frontier Project is a Colorado-based publishing and multimedia venture launched in 2010 by a team headed by award-winning magazine journalist A.J. Mangum. The company produces a short-subject documentary series on the horsemen, artists and craftsmen defining the contemporary North American cowboy culture.
"I saw a need for a new approach to journalism about the real West, an approach not driven by marketing or advertising, but by the need to share the stories of influential westerners, as well as the West's unsung heroes and heroines," Mangum says. "The Frontier Project will use an 'up close and personal' storytelling approach that puts its subjects front and center and allows them to tell their stories in their own words. Viewers can expect no fluff, no fads, no gimmicks, no bull."
In Episode 5, John Moyers shares his inspirations in an interview at his Santa Fe, New Mexico, studio.
![The Frontier Project: John Moyers](https://thumbnail.constantcontact.com/remoting/v1/vthumb/YOUTUBE/e2d1fc0aec684067a795a9273b4c1226) | The Frontier Project: John Moyers |
The Frontier Project is an independent documentary series celebrating North America's cowboy culture. Learn more at www.thefrontierproject.net
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Expressions
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![Photo of Artist Chris Liles](http://www.highnoon.com/SmokeSignals/ChrisLilesArtistCC.jpg)
He'll Fly Below the Radar No More
Sometimes Smoke Signals stumbles into stories so captivating we just have to share. We immerse ourselves in historic artifacts created by the many unsung heroes from decades and centuries past. Today, as before, there is still a world of unsung heroes out there creating, and every so often one of those individuals captures the attention of the most unlikely kind - the kind of person who is compelled to reveal an artist's worth to the world. His name is Chris Liles and her name is Leslie Gelb. Chris is the artist and Leslie has become his biggest advocate determined to take his work to the world. Perhaps this short story is about never giving up on your dream because you just never know when someone will enter your life. Someone ![Portrait of horse Cricket](http://www.highnoon.com/SmokeSignals/CricketCC.jpg) who sees what could be and is determined to make it happen. Chris Liles has been sculpting and painting for years. His background is half Irish and half Lakota Sioux. His Native American heritage goes back to his great-grandfather who was hung by the 7th Calvary in South Dakota, an event witnessed by his grandfather who at the time knew, if he didn't escape, he would be next. His grandfather began to run and didn't stop running until he reached New York. And here's where the story begins. Here's why Chris Liles has lived below the radar, painting and sculpting and living in East Hampton (NY), the fourth generation of a family whose struggles and strife are not unfamiliar to many Native American individuals and families. His life was a troubled one but Chris always found his salvation in his art - art he taught himself to create. His life took a change one day at a yard sale in East Hampton. He was just hanging out in his front yard one Sunday afternoon and began chatting with his neighbor Leslie Gelb while she hosted a yard sale. She didn't know him at the time, but their visit soon revealed to her the man behind the quiet demeanor. He was waiting for two customers to come by and pick up a pencil portrait he had done for them. The portrait was of a horse named Cricket and the owners were none other than Linda and Paul McCartney. Indeed they came by and left contentedly with their new Chris Liles' original. ![Photo of an alabaster sculpture by Chris Lilis](http://www.highnoon.com/SmokeSignals/alabaster-sculptureCC.jpg) Leslie just had to know - who was her neighbor, a man so unassuming and unexpectedly captivating? And so the relationship began. It took some time but Leslie and Chris became close friends. Chris, whose life was one of struggle and strife, didn't trust people easily. Leslie saw in him an individual so rich in character and talent, she knew his story had to be told and his work revealed to the world. A screenwriter by profession, little did Chris know that his life was about to change. Today, Leslie is almost finished writing his memoir, which has already gained attention from publishing companies. After that, Leslie sees a screenplay in the works. "His story and the person behind it just have to be told. His art is amazing, the man is genuine." And that's how it happens. It could be at a yard sale, it could be anywhere. You just never know when that person you were destined to meet will enter your life and propel your creativity out to the world. While High Noon is founded on the richness of the past, the past does not stop evolving. What is being created today, will indeed, be the riches of the past for generations to come. For information about the works of Chris Liles, please contact Leslie Gelb at [email protected]Photos Above: 1. Artist Chris Liles 2. Cricket. It was this pencil portrait of Linda McCartney's horse "Cricket" that would eventually change Chris Liles' life. 3. Alabaster Sculpture: Still a work in progress, Chris Liles has named this sculpted alabaster relief Mitakuye Oyasin-We Are All Related.
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Roaming Range Reporter
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Smoke Signals has a chat with the Curator of the new Buffalo Bill Museum and gets a sneak peek...
Buffalo Bill Museum
As the day draws near when the Buffalo Bill Museum, core of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody (WY), will close, it was time for Smoke Signals to have a chat with the man at the helm of this massive project - to develop, design and implement the new Buffalo Bill Museum scheduled to re-open June 2012. ![Photo of Dr. John C. Rumm, Curator](http://www.highnoon.com/SmokeSignals/page_bb_staff_01CC.jpg) Dr John C Rumm, Curator of the Buffalo Bill Museum, was charged with just two simple tasks: re-do the Museum from top to bottom and make Buffalo Bill relevant to the 21st century. No problem, not for Dr Rumm, who has embraced this project with passion surpassed by none. Rumm spent the majority of his professional career on the East Coast with major institutions such as the Smithsonian, The Civil War & Underground Railroad Museum and the National Constitution Center. When he joined the Buffalo Bill Historic Center in 2008, he came on board as the first Editor-in Chief of the Papers of the William F. Cody project. Little did he know at the time into what role he would really be stepping. "If anyone had told me 4 years ago that I would be living in Cody (WY), own two horses and a pickup truck, I would have told them they were crazy. I remember several years ago driving in Delaware and listening to the PBR talk show Face-Off. Senators Ted Kennedy and Alan Simpson were having a debate on the show and Ted Kennedy had wittingly accused Senator Simpson of 'Buffalo-ing every bill that came on the floor.' I remember laughing so hard at the comment I almost drove off the road. Little did I know at the time, that years later, I would be able to share this story with Senator Simpson himself, sitting in his office in Cody, Wyoming." "It's been a journey and an experience that was supposed to happen. I really didn't know anything about Buffalo Bill when I joined the BBHC which, in the end, has worked to my advantage. I have been able to get to know the real man, the visionary he was, without any pre-conceived notions or opinions. This is what I hope to be able to bring to the amazing new installation and museum we are creating. We're taking it down to the studs and when it re-opens, the world will know why William F. Cody was and is today, the Man of the West, The Man of the World." Most of us are familiar with Buffalo Bill to some extent but who really was this visionary man filled with undying optimism in the light of his many personal failures and tragedies? The new Buffalo Bill Museum will trace William F. Cody from his birth through his evolution to the worldwide, iconic image of freedom that he became. The new installation is being designed to engage and captivate visitors of all ages. Through authentic exhibits, new interactive and multi-media presentations, the new Buffalo Bill Museum will truly become a museum for the 21st century. The new Museum will tell his story - a great American story - in the most befitting and compelling way. Just two tasks - re-do the Museum from top to bottom and make Buffalo Bill relevant to the 21st century. Done. Accomplished through the passion and vision of those at the helm of this project and the generous support of the funds necessary to do it. No small task but the new Buffalo Bill Museum will take the West to the World - A world that will be able to encounter a great American icon again... for the very first time. And, the beautiful town of Cody is making some changes too. Five star hotels are moving in with one already open, The Cody, and a second one has broken ground, scheduled to be open in time for the grand opening of the new Museum. So, when can we expect to visit Man of the West, Man of the World? "It's going to be an intense project once we close the doors on October 1st but we will be ready for our grand opening scheduled for June 30th, 2012." For more information and to support this amazing project, visit www.bbhc.orgPhotos: 1. William F. Cody 2. Dr John C Rumm, The Ernest J. Goppert Curator of Western American History
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And furthermore...
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The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame goes to the Western Design Conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
![National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Members](http://www.highnoon.com/SmokeSignals/Jackson-Hole-GangCC.jpg) Representing the Hall are (left to right, back to front): Joseph Sherwood, Emmy Lou Prescott, Wanda Waters, Pat Riley, Diana Vela, Linda Kohn Sherwood, Lora Sandroni, Robin Gaul, Bob Sandroni. Congratulations to all the winners of the Western Design Conference and to Mary Schmitt for all her passionate and generous effort!
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Send us your stories...
| ![An Invitation to NBSSCA Members](http://www.highnoon.com/SmokeSignals/WeWantToHear2.jpg)
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Upcoming Events
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NOW Until October 2, 2011 Pendleton Round Up Pendleton, OR NOW Until March 30, 2012 Envisioning the West Oklahoma City, OK September 20-23, 2011 Bit Making: Form & Function Workshop (TCAA) Oklahoma City, OK September 20-24, 2011 Rendezvous Royal Cody, WY September 23, 2011 Tequila and Tapas Santa Ynez, CA September 23, 2011 Buckaroo Bash Indianapolis, IN September 24-25, 2011 Montague County Western Heritage Roundup Bowie, TX September 29-October 19, 2011 19th Annual Will James Gathering Elko, NV September 30, 2011 Backstage with Annie Oakley Cody, WY October 6-9, 2011 20th Annual Nebraska Cowboy Poetry & Old West Days Valentine, NB October 8-9, 2011 Golden California Antiques Show Glendale, CA October 14-15, 2011 Traditional Cowboy Artists Assoc 13th Annual Exhibition, Sale, and Seminars Oklahoma City, OK October 14-15, 2011 46th Annual Cowboy Artists of America Sale & Exhibition Oklahoma City, OK October 14-16, 2011 Holiday Country Expo and BBQ Fest Ontario, CA October 15-16, 2011 Austin Chocolate Festival Austin, TX October 15-16, 2011 Calabasas Pumpkin Festival Calabasas, CA October 20-23, 2011 9th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Festival & Symposium Cartersville, GA October 21, 2011 The West Select Art Sale & Exhibition Phoenix, AZ October 22, 2011 Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Hollywood, CA October 26 - March 25, 2012 The Cowgirl Who Became a Justice: Sandra Day O'Connor, a 30th Anniversary Celebration Fort Worth, TX November 1-6, 2011 Annual Heber City's Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Buckaroo Fair Heber City, UT November 3-6, 2011 9th Annual Cave Creek Wild West Days Cave Creek, AZ November 4-6, 2011 Tombstone Western Music Festival Tombstone, AZ November 5, 2011 Celebration of Roy Rogers 100th Birthday Apple Valley, CA November 10-13, 2011 17th Annual Cowpoke Fall Gathering Loomis, CA November 19, 2011 - September 2, 2012 Bolo Tie Exhibit at the Heard Museum Phoenix, AZ December 1-10, 2011 National Finals Rodeo Las Vegas, NV December 1-10, 2011 Cowboy Christmas Las Vegas, NV December 2-4, 2011 Monterey Cowboy Poetry & Music Festival Monterey, CA December 7, 2011 We Pointed Them North Art Show & Event Fort Worth, TX January 1, 2012 Celebrate Trigger and the Roy Rogers family in Pasadena's Tournament of Roses 123rd Rose Parade January 28-29, 2012 22nd Annual High Noon Western Americana Antique Show & Auction Mesa, AZ February 2-19, 2012 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo San Antonio, TX Send event submissions to [email protected]
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Don't Fret About the Future - Invest in the Past!
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High Noon Western AmericanaPH 310.202.9010 | FAX 310.202.9011 Newsletter Submissions: [email protected]Information: [email protected] | www.highnoon.comPrivate Treaty Sales | Appraisals | Consignments | AcquisitionsEstate Services | Investment Consultations |
Send us a Smoke Signal
Smoke Signals is for and about all of the wonderful people in our High Noon
family. If you have news you want to share, hot tips on what's going on in
the Western Americana world or just a suggestion of something you'd like to
see us cover, send us an email at [email protected] ___________________________________________
Chief Publisher: High Noon Western Americana Chief Editor: Linda Kohn Sherwood Chief Art Director: Robin Ireland, Ireland Graphic Design Chief Graphic Designer: Curtis Hill, Art Direction Services Chief Writer: Jayne Skeff, JSLA Media Solutions
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