Stagecoach 1939

this is the story of nine people two drivers and seven passengers who for mostly separate reasons are traveling together all the way to Lee's Ferry. among the travellers are a alcoholic doctor Doc Boone, Dallas a prostitute who along with Doc Boone is being thrown out of tow by the "Law and Order League", a whisky salesman Samuel Peacock, Ringo Kid who is a fugitive that is being returned to jail in Lee's Ferry, Lucy Mallory who is pregnant and traveling to see her husband who is in the cavalry, a banker Henry Gatewood that has embezzled a large amount of money from the bank works for and Hattfield a southern gentleman and a gambler. to add to all the troubles that they may have individually and with each other there is another problem Geronimo and is Apiachs  are on the warpath with add a layer of dander to the jorny.

 

 

I this movie we have the civilised outposts and items of civilisation in the wilderness. the Henry Gatewood's occupation of a banker is a job that could only work in the cilviled world but he partly relays on the markers of civilisation breaking down when he shows up at Lee's Ferry they take him in to custody because the telegraph lines have been fixed and they know what he did. also the fact that when the Indians do attack the fist sing of them is an arrow but after that its only guns used

also at the end when Ringo and Dallas ride off together one of the drivers Curly say to the other "there they go escaping civilisation"

 

Shane (1953)

Shane was released in 1953 and was directed by George Stevens and shows the story of a gunfighter, Shane, as he tries to settle down with a homestead family, the Starrett’s, while a conflict rages between the settlers and ranchers. Ultimately Shane has to intervene in the conflict to protect the Starrett family which then means he must leave the homestead or face prosecution for the crimes he committed to protect the homesteaders.  

The movie Shane contains opposing aspects as shown in Kitses antinomial grid. This grid proposes that Westerns contain different oppositions in their structure. Shane relates to this grid as it portrays the opposition between the individual and the community, which are shown in the community of the homesteaders and the individualism of Shane. 

The film focuses on Shane’s struggle to fit in to a community where compromise and social responsibility are needed compared to the freedom and focus on self-interest he is used to as a loan traveller. As well as this, the film focuses on the conflict between the homesteaders and Ryker which is used to show the ideas of nature vs culture in the western genre. The homesteaders and Ryker and his men both contain aspects of Kitses ideas of nature and culture, for example Ryker shows signs of corruption (categorised as Culture by Kitses) in his wish to force the homesteaders from their land. 

He also shows signs of brutalisation and savagery which Kitses classes as being a part of the nature category. The homesteaders show signs of purity (Nature) in their behaviour, in particular Joe Starrett, as he believes that Ryker can be reasoned with when he is going to meet with him in the saloon, but he then finds out that Ryker will kill him. As well as this Shane shows signs of both knowledge and humanity as well as savagery and experience. 

[2] (Kitses grid)

What I am trying to show by using Kitses grid is that Shane isn't as simple as it would originally seem, it is more than just a simple bad guy versus good guy story. Both ‘sides’ of the conflict express aspects of both the wilderness and civilization which when analysed shows how Shane is much more than it seems at first. It actually has a very dynamic structure with much deeper characters than would be expected.

This film shows a more serious side to the western, with less of a focus on the idea of the cowboy fantasy (although there are still elements of this in, such as in the closing scene). “Death is a serious thing here, and gun play is realistic, not cartoonish or gratuitous. There’s also a sense of the harshness of frontier life.” [1] Its much more than a silly cowboy adventure story, it shows a lot of realities of frontier life, such as the corruption and conflicts in everyday life.

One aspect of the film I personally dislike is the portrayal of Marion and the other women. Although this can hardly be criticised as it was created in the 1950’s when women were seen as having to be only nurturing mothers and wives. I also dislike the slower paced nature of the film, but this is because I prefer more fast paced modern films, and so is just personal preference. Overall I feel this film is much more complex than it is seen as by just a casual viewer and it explores some very interesting aspects of western life.

Sources: 

 [1] https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/shane

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-shane-1953

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_(film)

[2] https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=I1O14ZjrH98C&pg=PT315&lpg=PT315&dq=neale+kitses+grid&source=bl&ots=_iDf4hCwag&sig=JA8we6YyRDD5BNJLlq3ohkUfyWo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=IJPhVNrSNdTlarLTgaAD&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=neale%20kitses%20grid&f=false

Shane (1953) Review

Shane (1953)

The film Shane (1953) depicts the story of a gunslinger Shane (Alan Ladd) who rides into a small frontier town in Wyoming in the hope of settling down, positioning himself within the conflict of the homesteaders and the ranchers, Shane does what he can in order to protect those he comes to care about even if it means leaving town alone afterwards. Based on the book of the same name written by Jack Schaefer. It has all the specific elements that you would hope to find in any great western film; heroes, villains, guns, frontier towns, saloon fights etc. and for many of these reasons it is considered to be a classic and one of the best western films ever made.

          Shot under the peaks of the Grand Tentons the way in which Shane has been filmed enhances the rich and dramatic landscape of the West and highlights the iconic American frontier scene with a small town on the edge of nowhere.

          Alan Ladd’s character, Shane, is the hero of the film, the good guy who saves the town from the villainous ranchers however he is also a very mysterious character. He first off presents himself to the Starrett family as a weakling, just passing through however when Rykers men show up and there is conflict present he soon changers his behaviour; getting involved in another man’s dispute and proudly showing Rykers men his gun, his personality and tone begin to suggest that he is more than meets the eye. Perhaps this is why Shane also only has a first name; lending to his mystery and past. The story is told through the eyes of Joey, a young boy who looks up to Shane and sees him as a role model, this is also shown through the camera work, when many times Shane is in shot it is filmed from lower down, elevating his importance and showing the admiration. Personally I think that Ladd does well to portray the character of Shane.

          Overall, Shane, is classed as one of the best western films and director and producer, George Stevens, did well to turn such a successful book into an endless, classic western. I don’t personally watch many western films, however, having watched Shane, I did enjoy it and would recommend it for others to watch.

Sources:

Image: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1944820992/tt0046303?ref_=tt_ov_i 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046303/

Courage of the West (1937)

Directed by: Joseph H. Lewis

Written by: Norton S. Parker

Starring: Bob Baker

Bob Baker made his debut appearance in the "B"-movie Courage of the West as a singing cowboy in 1937. The film, directed by Joseph H. Lewis, told the story of an adopted son who grew up as a ranger and is tracking his own convict father, unbeknownst to him. Courage of the West was the first of four Westerns that Lewis made with singing cowboy Bob Baker as well as his first time as a lone director. The film is "full of original touches" and Lewis' "staging, camera work and visual motifs" are considered much more inventive than the story or the characters to some critics (1), however the film is also considered to be Bob Baker's best starring role out of all of the films he went on to work in.

The film contains two major parts: the prologue with the "youthful hero" and the main film depicts the protagonist in a much later period. Unlike Lewis' later films however, Courage of the West appears to have "no politics" and "no social commentary" it "pits the...cowboy policemen, against bad guy train robbers" which seems unable to be considered a particularly original story line. The film also lacks any real mystery with an over-perceptive lead character and unoriginal plot. This sets it up to be dismissed in the history of the great American Western. 

Sources: 

http://mikegrost.com/lewis.htm

http://www.jimwegryn.com/Names/Cowboys.htm

Currier and Ives the vanishing point of the America's Great Frontier

This is a well know print that was produced by the lithography firm of currier and Ives in 1868. it represents the role of the railroad in the moving of people west. in this print we see what most people say the frontier to be. a beautiful land of rich recourses. a land that seemingly had no end and a land that even though it did have inhabitant already there they would eventually fade in to the smoke.

Frank Tenney Johnson - Moonlight Canyon

Frank Tenney Johnson (1974 – 1939)

During his lifetime Johnson travelled west from New York a lot to gather materials for his paintings, also did a lot of travelling south west to paint Native Americans. He lived in Alhambra, California from 1920 and spent a lot of his time painting near Yellowstone National Park.

This was painted by Frank Tenney Johnson in 1931, and is entitled Moonlit Canyon. This image was painted after the exploration of the west, yet it still portrays the west as being wild. The two men on horseback are at a cross roads in the canyon, with the path ahead cast in shadows. This shows that the idea of the west being unknown and wild is still present even in 1931. The image is of an area that could not be reached by larger means of transport, meaning that the only ways to explore this area is by foot or horseback which gives it a secretive feeling. It suggests that areas of the west are still untouched by more modern things, such as modern cars.

The longer hair of the men suggest that they are Native Americans as short hair was preferred by American men at the time. The fact that these men may be Native American gives the impression that the idea of the wild and the Native Americans have a connection, as if Native Americans have not been touched by modern times either.  

The towering cannon in the background gives the impression of the vastness of the wilderness, which is exaggerated by the size comparison created by the men being present in the picture. The fact that this image was painted at night gives a secretive feeling to the image, as well as a feeling of the area being untouched by the noise and colour of 1930’s America.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Tenney_Johnson

http://www.cdaartauction.com/2012/lot/17574

The Outlier

Frederic Remington's The Outlier (1909)

This piece was painted in the same year Frederic Remington died which shows that the man became quite  nostalgic towards the end of his life. Western subjects remained a staple throughout Remington's career however they usually seemed to depict the more 'exciting' scenes of battle between the cavalry and the Indians in a crisp realism. However this piece is painted with loose impressionistic brushstrokes and depicts a solitary figure riding through a nocturnal landscape. It is enriched with nostalgia, by 1909 the wars for U.S. control over Indian territories had been over for twenty years. 

This could be interpreted as perhaps a sense of guilt on Remington's part, he had been there to witness the great decline of these strong indigenous people and one of his last paintings depicts an Indian completely alone. He is referred to as 'The Outlier', something that suggests to us that he is perhaps one of the last ones left, he does not fit the rest of the data. 

Sources: 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Remington_the_outlier.jpg

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/remington_frederic.html

Red Cloud and American Horse

Red Cloud and American Horse

This photograph was taken in 1891 by the Grabill Portrait and View Co., Deadwood S.D. 

(South Dakota). The image is of two Native Americans 'Red Cloud' and 'American Horse' , The overall symbolism of the image is of the infusion of Native Americans with that of 19th century US civilized culture. The image shows how far the Native American has had to submit (either voluntarily or not) to the control of the 'white man'. The setting of the image is that of a clear or plain landscape with the two Natives  stood in front of a traditional native tee-pee, this along with the wearing of a native feather headdress by 'American Horse' are a clear identifier of native efforts to maintain a cultural identity , However, the extensive western style attire worn by 'Red Cloud',  (i.e. hat, jacket, trouser) as well as the wearing of items that show the conversion of certain natives to accepting western technologies i.e. revolver and a time piece/pocket watch. additionally the positions held by the subjects are more subtle in the representation of cultural conversion , the symbolic 'hand shake' portrays how native have also adopted modern customs. 

However, the symbolism of this photo is deliberately exacerbated to promote inter-culture relations in the US at this time, (1891), as the photo was taken by a independent photograph company, in a non-frontier region the image is heavy set to promote greater submission by the native to US cultural dominance 

The Wampanoag Tribe

The Wampanoag tribe originate from South eastern Massachusetts between the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island to the western end of Cape Cod. This also included the coastal islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

In the 1600s the tribe had as many as 12000 people divided between 40 different villages, however many died due to illness so by 1620 when the Pilgrims landed, roughly only 2000 Wampanoag had survived.

The Wampanoag people made peace with the Englishmen, providing them with corn and other resources to try and help them through the winter and finally signing a treaty of land.

Today, there are two main Wampanoag tribes, the Wampanoag of Gay Head and the Mashpee Wampanoag, however there history is shown at the Plymouth Plantation alongside the Pilgrims in live re-enactments.

Sources:

http://www.wampanoagtribe.net/Pages/index 

http://mashpeewampanoagtribe.com/

http://www.plimoth.org/

native americans of Alska

according to this map.

The state with the density population is Alaska. I have one theory as to why this might have originally been, it was so cold there that few colonists had an in settling there so most of it was left to the native population. to this day there are 17 different tribe living in Alaska. the names of the different tribes are the Ahtna tribe, the Aleut tribe, the Aluutiq tribe, the Eyak tribe, the Gwich'in tribe, the Haida tribe, the Han tribe, the Holikachuk tribe, the Ingalik tribe  (Degxit'an), the Inupiaq tribe (Inuit), the Kolchan tribe, the Koyukon tribe, the Tanaina tribe, the Tanana tribe, the Tlingit tribe, the Tsimshian tribe and the Yupik  tribe.
 http://www.native-languages.org/alaska.htm

The Mississippi Choctaw Indians

The Mississippi Choctaw Indians

http://www.choctaw.org/index.html

The Mississippi band Choctaw Indians have been a federally recognized American Indian tribe since 1945 and they have recently (2011) elected their first female tribal chief.

 (Chief Phyliss J. Anderson) 

The Choctaw became the first of the "Five civilized tribes" in the 19th century because they had adapted many practices from Americans. The Choctaw Indians were also the first Native Americans to be forced under the Indian removal act, and when the first removal treaty was signed the Mississippi Choctaw became one of the first major non-European ethnic groups to become American citizens. The Mississippi Choctaw were now seen as American citizens even though they lived in 'America' long before the Americans.

The Choctaw Indian tribe is currently located over 35,000 acres in ten different Mississippi counties, and they currently have 10,000 members which are split between eight reservation communities.  The tribe contributes to the states economy by providing permanent, full time jobs for over 5,000 people, including non-tribal members.

The website provides a detailed history of the tribe as well as information on their culture, such as their language, dances, and traditions. It also provides details of tourist destinations to visit to support the tribe and to learn about the Choctaw. There is a mix of traditional Choctaw activities for tourists to experience and modern activities. For example, there is a cultural center which teaches classes on traditional art, as well as other Choctaw traditions. The tribe also advertises a hotel and casino and a Choctaw shopping center which show how the tribe has developed their own businesses to provide for their people. Although these new activities may be advertised the website states that "still, no matter how much change comes to the Reservation, one constant remains - the traditional culture of the Choctaw people." This shows that although the Choctaw people have had to adapt to modern life, they have not forgotten their traditions and culture.

 (Image of the Choctaw festival)

Please post in time for the small group meeting - Monday morning is TOO LATE

The Cherokee

Visiting the Cherokee Nation

Since the 16th Century, when the Europeans first made contact with the Americas, the Cherokee were considered and identified as the most socially and culturally advanced amongst the Native American tribes. Today, the Cherokee Nation "is an active leader in education, housing, vocational training, business and economic development". As the largest Indian tribe in the US, the Cherokee have over 300,000 citizens and over 70,000 reside in a 7,000 square mile geographical area, which is not a reservation but a federally-recognised, truly sovereign nation. This is a radical step forward for the tribe that had not too long ago been deprived of any recognisable sovereign rights in the United States of America.

"Cherokees are not only a people of the past, but a people of the present and future."

This line, on the homepage of the attractions part of the website, portrays the Cherokee as a strong and everlasting tribe as on the same page it mentions the famous 'Trail of Tears'. It's an almost ominous sentence as it shows that the Cherokee are there to stay, they were there before the USA was established and will be long after. It seems that the tribe adapts to new surroundings by moving forward and bringing their rich heritage and traditions with them to their new home.

The tribe's transferable lifestyle allows them to thrive in any situation or location as they originated from the plains and now reside in the state of Oklahoma where they have secured sovereignty over their land and became recognisable as a nation. They advertise visiting them through the website with sections on their casinos, galleries, museums, gift shops and much more. This shows them as business-forward as they manage to exploit their history in a positive way to fund their future as a tribe. 

The pictures used on their website seem to highlight both the traditional and modern traits of the Cherokee tribe by advertising visiting their national heritage centre using pictures of their traditional housing. Their 'cultural tourism' picture shows both old and young members of the tribe in a mixture of native and modern dress, as if fusing together the past, present and future of their nation. This only seems to reinforce their ideas of "not only [being] a people of the past, but a people of the present and future". Their rich heritage only seems to continue as they develop and evolve in their new situations.

Sources: 

www.cherokee.org

visitcherokeenation.com

Native-American Indian Tribes - The Cheyenne

http://www.cheyenneindian.com/default.htm

I looked into the history behind; and the current situation of the Cheyenne Tribe, how they transpired from a highly developed (by neolithic technological standards) , tribe, both militarily and political powerful . and how their interaction with imperialist European powers, both benefited and negatively  affected the tribe. Additionally,  how as a tribe they had to deal with US Federal restrictions and regulation  on land and religion.

The Cheyenne Tribe, were originally located in the hills and surrounding areas of Missouri. Their contact with the Spanish and their technologies e.g. Horses  allowed the Cheyenne the opportunity to hunt buffalo more effectively, this is a early example of the benifits that trading nations (from Europe)  brought to the Americas. The whole survival of the tribe revolved around the buffalo, food, clothing, shelter and religion, all were focused it.

The Cheyenne tribe, like many tribes on the west side of the Appalachian mountains, were met with full force of the expanding US government, who in a bid to secure land for its citizens in legistation like the 1862 'Homestead Act', promised and comprised treaties with the Cheyenne's (which they broke) . Cheyenne opposition to US expansion, came apparent in 1864 (while US government, was focued on the civil war), when like the 'Apache' and the 'Cherokee' sought retribution upon white settlers. Leading US retaliation, the Sand Creek Massacre (1864) and further Cheyenne attacks; The Cheyenne participated in the Battle of the LittleBighorn (1876).

As with many other tribes, the Cheyenne have been subject to US reservation programs and currently
The Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho currently live in Oklahoma, while the Northern Cheyenne live on the Tongue River Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana.

Settler Diaries

Catherine Sager:

In 1838, Catherine along with her family of three sister, two brother, pregnant mother and father planned to move from their house in Ohio to Missouri. After a few months, it was then decided that the family should travel further West to Oregon due to its healthful climate that would be better for Catherine’s mother, however the family did not start to make their way until late 1843.

Catherine describes the journey to be one full of adventure but also very dangerous. She explains how her and her sibling would play during the journey, jumping from the wagon over the wheel to the ground; one time however, Catherine’s dress got caught in the wheel, trapping her leg and breaking it “all to pieces”. After this Catherine had to ride in the wagon for the rest of the travels.

Other than this, half of the cattle herd that they owned were lost on route and her mother and father died from illness, leaving Captain Shaw (who travelled alongside them) as sole guardian for the children. After the parents’ deaths, Captain Shaw helped the children get to Oregon safely where they were later adopted by Dr Whitman.

Sources:

http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/two/sager1.htm 

Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0b/Sager_family.jpg 

Christiana Holmes Tillson

A Woman's Story of Pioneer Illinois

Christiana Holmes Tillson is writing an account of her time travelling from Massachusetts to Illinois to give her daughter an account of it, making this a personal piece of writing. However, as the subject is her daughter it could be softened to show only the positives rather than the negatives of her journey out west. When settled in St. Louis Christiana was "aware that the "white folks," though very friendly when [she] met them, were much perplexed to know what Tillson's wife found to do. She didn't spin nor weave". This seems to highlight the civility of the new America as women were not expected to help their husbands, they were expected to be at home and take up a craft. This stands as an explanation for why women were sent for once the men had built towns, so that they would not have to dirty themselves whilst striving for the ideal of moving west. This shows that it was very much a man's need to move west, and the women would follow.

Christiana also focuses on the very small things; like how much each piece of furniture was and what times the post came and the route the postmen took. She goes into quite a lot of detail about what they used as candlesticks until their furniture arrived which suggests that actually there was not a lot for her in this new America. She left her parents in Massachusetts to follow her husband, much to their dismay, and now has to busy herself with the scrupulous details of what they used as a dinner table and that women wore bonnets inside. It suggests, perhaps, that, despite her excitement of moving west, she has nothing much to do - as mentioned when it says she does not 'spin' or 'weave'.

Sources: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/HNS/domwest/tillson.html

Eliza Ann McAuley "Iowa to the Land of Gold"

Eliza Ann McAuley – Iowa to “The land of Gold”

This diary is of 17 year old Eliza Ann McAuley as she travels with a small group, including her brother and sister, to meet her father in California in 1852. Eliza’s mother and sister stayed behind in Iowa.

They left for California on Wednesday 7^th April 1852.

She describes what they set out with as including a variety of yokes drawn by oxen and cows, one for the leaders, one for wheelers and one or two yokes of cows. As well as two saddle horses and 20 dairy cows, a tent and a ‘sheet iron camp stove’, which can be used inside the tent.

They set out with a variety of provisions, including dried fruit and vegetables as well as slices or dried bread. She also mentions how her and her sisters clothing is “light and durable” with “a pair of light calf skin topboots for wading through mud and sand”.

They don’t meet many problems on their journey, although on Sunday 10^th April they come across an impassable hole in the road and so have to take down a fence to get by safely. This angers the owner, who threatens to get his gun if they don’t move off his land. Tom (who I assume is her brother) puts his hand on his gun and the owner of the land leaves.

When they pass through Ottumwa, she states that it was “the prettiest place we have yet seen and have decided to come and make our home when we return from California with a fortune”. This suggests that they are not wanting to stay in California permanently, but they are hoping to use California to become rich so that they can live where ever they like.

On Sunday 16^th May, whilst they are eating, a Pawnee Chief and twelve of his men came to camp with them. They eat together and the Pawnee people camp with them for the night peacefully. Eliza does not express any dislike for the Pawnee chief, which means not everyone had the same negative views of the Native Americans.

On September 18^th she describes how she sees the first “Californian house” that she has seen.




On Sunday 19^th September they arrive at their father’s cabin in California after five months of travel. She says how the Californian miners called her father “father Mac”, which suggests that her father is either a miner himself or that he is in a higher position at the mine. If he is a miner, it may mean he travelled to California to earn some money and find a home for his family to later join him, as they do.
She also talks of how the miners try to catch a glimpse of her and her sister, as women are not common in the area. This suggests that not many women join their male family members in this area, or perhaps many do not want to make the journey.

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/HNS/domwest/mcauley.html

Reminiscences of a trip across the plains

this was written by one Mrs. Burnett (nee Lucy Jane Hall) who's father was the captain of a there train of wagons that had started at thirty but at the time that she is writing about had grown to fifty.
this section of her tale deals with some of the perils of travel.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orgenweb/bios/plains.html

DIARY OF WILLIAM ADDISON BUSHNELL

William Adddison Bushnell war a Union soldier, who enlisted in California in 1864. By joining this late in the conflict (the war ending in 1865) and his post on the other side of the continent to where the majority of fighting was, Private Bushnell , was subject to garrison service and his account is of his conditions as a soldier on the frontier.

His accounts vary in length and detail, some entries give a view into his day to day transfer movements or other piece that are descriptive of the environment and his thoughts, additionally his diary accounts contain poems written describing his surroundings to give a view of the frontier. some of these include;

'Oh such is the desert that burns like a furnace
A treeless waste of immeasurable sand-
That conspires with the sun to torture and burn us
Through the width and the breadth of this water-less land'
                                                  -ON THE DESERT 1865 Sept. 25

Oct. 22 (1864) - Lay over to-day and rest ourselves after our big march. Had a thunder shower in the evening accompanied with a strong wind, which came near lifting our tents off the ground, but little rain fell,
Oct. 13 - , March 16 miles and encamp on the river among heavy willows and weeds, interspersed with cottonwoods. Capt. Stewart caught a splendid Salmon. A train of Emigrants camp near, they are from Texas Hill and represent themselves as being "hard up".

Oct. 14 - -Leave camp as usual at 5 A. M. In two miles pass Mohawk Station. Nine miles further pass Texan Hill and still six miles further reach, Teamsters or Shady Camp, and halt for the day. A portion of the command got on the wrong road, or rather on no road at all, for which they were indebted to Captain Noyes. Shady Camp consists of a few cottonwood trees, standing on the banks of the Gila, and were it not for the dust, and wind would be an agreeable place. McGinnis shot a crane across the river. The boys caught some nice fish.. Distance 17 miles. (not the fish)

Oct. 15, -  Travel 14 miles and encamp at Grinnells Station, on the Rio, at a nice grove, and a sort of house made of poles or logs set on end. The occupants were two or three white men, and as many Mexican women, Watermelons for sale at tres reals, a piece. Some of the teams are sent over the river after barley for the mules. Our time of traveling since we left is pretty regular, "Reville" sounds at 4 A. M. immediately after comes "Role Call" then follows the "General", which means for all hands to hurry up and get ready for the road. About five the "Assembly" sounds and the companies fall in, and await the call "forward" which soon sounds off and off we go. In two hours we halt and rest a few minutes, and at the end of every hour thereafter until we halt for the day.

x

The Wild West

Western Emporium:

Western Emporium is an online shop that sells western boots, hats, clothing etc. for both men and women. The page boldly states “Old West and Frontier clothing. Quality products. Authentic style”. It represents an image of the Old West that has become popular in society. This particular page comes across as more of a fancy dress site than clothes that would be worn on a day to day basis as they were back then, giving the feeling that those who buy from a site such as this are reminiscing on their childhood, stories and films about ‘cowboys and Indians of the West’. There are hundreds of emporiums like this all over America, some selling fancy dress or others selling ‘vintage’ western attire, showing the popularity that the West has.

Sources:

http://www.westernemporium.com/western.php 

The 'Wild West'

The Old West Gallery 
http://www.theoldwestgallery.com/


The 'Old West Galley'  is a site of numerous 'wild west' themed products. With every thing from Clothing and Native American items to films and replica guns this online market provides access to a sub-culture that is so greatly represented through movie culture, on a era that is so historically important that items from it have ended up incorporated into modern day fashion. The variety of products available emphasis the how big the market is , the selection range included outfits that are designed on type of clothing frontiers men wore to themed contemporary products such as 'sheriff star' wallets and belts an cell phone cases. Additionally the site capitalizes on memorabilia from old wild west tv shows and movies that were so popular in american tv culture, selling photos from TV shows such as 'Bonanza' (1957-1973) show that the stereo typical 'Wild West' products what  what many consumers want rather than genuine products.

The 'Wild West'

The paintings on this website seem to portray the stereotypical 'Wild West', or 'Old West' as this website seems to prefer, as if purposefully marketing our beliefs of what the 'Wild West' looked like. The first two images practically epitomise what the average person would believe was exactly what it was like to live in the 'Wild West'.

'Searching' (2011)

This first painting, by Kim Lockman, is a depiction of John Wayne, the famous 'Wild West' actor. This man has seemed to epitomise the American 'Wild West' for people all over the globe for his portrayals of the West. Biographer Ronald Davis wrote that "John Wayne personified for millions the nation's frontier heritage" which only begins to describe his effect on the west. This painting of him standing tall and proud in his authentic cowboy clothing with a strong horse standing smaller than him in the background seems to encourage the idea of complete power and freedom that Americans seem to love about the 'Wild West'. The original of this painting sold for $1,800, proof of the fact that people from all over the globe buy into this image of strength, power and freedom of the 'Wild West'.

'Cowboys Roping A Steer' (1897)

This second painting was painted at the time where the 'Wild West' was still a very true part of life as this year was still classed as part of the American Frontier period. It shows a group of cowboys in a positive light as they show off their skills and rope a 'steer', The painting is busy with the three cowboys and their horses almost blending together as they attempt to complete their task. If you look closely enough you can in fact see genuine markings on the horses and the steer, as well as a few cowboys in the far left background looking after some cattle. This image of farming cattle shows how plentiful the land was for these men, as in the background it can easily be seen that the cattle outnumber the men. By capturing some men chasing after a loose steer, the painter has effectively epitomised the image that people nowadays think of when asked about the 'Wild West', it paints the perfect image of freedom and masculinity, making people see power when they see cowboys.

I found it interesting to compare the two first images on this website, that has a whole category dedicated to the 'Old West', as one is from a fairly recent year and the other is from the time, yet both seem to epitomise the idea of complete freedom and power in the 'Wild West'. The one from the American Frontier period seems to portray the moment as being an every day occurrence with the men in the background herding some cattle and the men in the foreground capturing a loose steer, whereas the image of John Wayne's purpose seems to be to portray freedom and power in a way that suggests it is still attainable today.


Sources:
http://fineartamerica.com/art/paintings/old+west/all
Ronald L. Davis (2012). Duke: The Life and Image of John Wayne. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 6.

Western USA tours

http://www.trailfinders.com/tailormadetours.nsf/webmenu?ReadForm&region=usa&country=western%20usa&style=&duration=&sort=&order=&page=1

This website is trying to sell tours of  Western America, with tours such as “America’s Canyonlands” and “western discovery”. Many of these tours are marketed towards those wanting to see the canyons, with many offering tours to the Grand Canyon national park in Arizona, and Bryce Canyon national park in Utah. Lake Powell is also a key feature of many of these tours, which shows how one of the most popular things to see in Western USA today is its areas of natural beauty. Although many of these tours focus on the big cities present in Western America, such as San Diego and San Francisco in California and Las Vegas in Nevada. This suggests that the things most associated with the West of America today are its biggest cities as well as its National parks and other natural attractions. 

the wild west in the magic kingdom

When Walt Disney started work of his theme parks he wanted there to be something for every one including some attractions that didn't at the time attach to one of his movies or cartoons, an example of that would be Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show with Mickey and friends in Disneyland Paris.
its dinner theatre where you go inside are handed a cowboy hat at the door before finding your seats.
the show its self everything the average person would think a wild west show would be. cowboys, Indians, a stagecoach robbery, as well as some historical names such as Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley.Right there for that show the wild west is brought back through the magic of Disney and at the end of the night all we have left are the memories and a hat.

/www.disneylandparis.co.uk/dining/disney-village/buffalo-bills-wild-west-show-with-mickey-and-friends-restaurant/

Welcome.

This group meets on Mondays at 2,00 in my office, Alwyn 32.

First post

Post and analyse any example of any website which markets the American West – this can be a site selling historic or contemporary paintings or photographs, clothing, hats, boots, jewellery, vacations, land and housing property or anything else you can find to give us a snapshot of how the West is imagined in America today.