Category Archives: popular culture

From Talking Movies to Looney Tunes – Celebrating 100 Years of Warner Brothers

April 4, 2023, marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of Warner Brothers Pictures. Here at the American Heritage Center, we have the papers of some of the creative personalities behind the films for which Warner Brothers is revered. The … Continue reading

Posted in Animation, cartoons, Hollywood history, motion picture history, music, popular culture, television history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Excelsior! – Honoring a Lifetime of Stan Lee’s Work

December 28, 2022, marks the 100th Anniversary of Stan Lee’s birth, so it is fitting that the last post of the year delves into his remarkable life and work. Lee’s papers are among the American Heritage Center’s most popular collections. … Continue reading

Posted in Comic book history, Fantasy, Hollywood history, popular culture, Superheroes, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Star Trek: Creating the Cultural Phenomenon

The 1960’s television show Star Trek spawned a long lived and beloved cultural phenomenon. Here at the American Heritage Center, we are fortunate to have photographs, scripts, and music scores from some of the original seventy-nine Star Trek episodes that … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday Hoppy!

William Lawrence Boyd, known throughout the world as “Hopalong Cassidy”, was born June 5, 1895 in Hendrysburg, Ohio, to Charles William Boyd, and his wife, the former Lida Wilkens (aka Lyda). Following his father’s death, Boyd moved to California to … Continue reading

Posted in Animal actors, Hollywood history, Motion picture actors and actresses, popular culture, television history, Uncategorized, Western history | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Comic Books: A Continuing Work in Progress

Although comic books depict the exploits of characters who possess “powers and abilities far beyond those of ordinary mortals” the medium itself stems from very humble beginnings.  Comics as a print medium have existed in the United States since the … Continue reading

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Joseph S. Palen: Cheyenne Frontier Days Chronicler

If you’re interested in the history of Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD), a great place to start is the J. S. Palen papers at the American Heritage Center. Born in 1912 in Salina, Kansas, Palen became fascinated with cowboy culture at … Continue reading

Posted in Agricultural history, Current events, popular culture, Ranch history, Rodeo history, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Plainclothes Irishman Michael O’Shea

It seems only right to send to commemorate the life of actor Edward Francis Michael Patrick Joseph O’Shea on St. Patrick’s Day. Not only was he Irish American, he was born on March 17 in 1906. He went by the … Continue reading

Posted in Current events, Holidays, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, popular culture, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Traveling with Cole Porter

Actress and photographer Jean Howard was a great favorite of Cole Porter, the urbane composer and songwriter known for scoring such successful productions as Kiss Me Kate (1948) and High Society (1956). His numerous hit songs include Begin the Beguine, … Continue reading

Posted in Composers, Hollywood history, Motion picture actors and actresses, Photographic collections, popular culture, Uncategorized, women's history | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Aloha Wanderwell – A Well-Wandered Woman

To commemorate March as Women’s History Month, the AHC would like to feature the life of adventurer Idris Galcia Hall (1906-1996) who christened herself “Aloha Wanderwell.” In 1922 at age 16, she answered an ad calling for “a good-looking brainy … Continue reading

Posted in aviation history, Explorers, popular culture, Uncategorized, women's history, World exploration | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Marguerite Shepherd: Assistant to “Ace of Aces” Eddie Rickenbacker

Marguerite “Sheppy” Shepherd (1894-1983) was the longtime personal assistant to ‘Ace of Aces’ Eddie Rickenbacker (1890-1973), a World War I fighter pilot, race car driver, automotive designer, government consultant in military matters, air transport pioneer, and longtime head of Eastern Air … Continue reading

Posted in aviation history, popular culture, World War I | Tagged , , | 2 Comments