Category Archives: Uncategorized

Remembering Al: A Friend Who Just Happened to Be a Senator

Posted on March 14, 2025 by ahcadmin

On March 14, we lost Al Simpson. My heart feels heavy as I write these words. At the American Heritage Center, we knew him like so many others did—as a benefactor, yes, but more importantly, as a friend. I’ve been … Continue reading →

Posted in Alan K. Simpson Institute for Western Politics and Leadership, American Heritage Center, Memorial Tributes, Political history, Uncategorized, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On the Air and in the Aisles: How Kraft Music Hall Sold a Show and a Brand 

Posted on March 10, 2025 by ahcadmin

A standard of the Golden Age of Radio, musical-variety radio programs surged in popularity in the early 1930s as consumers gained access to affordable radio units. These shows, often blending comedy with music, remained beloved throughout the Great Depression. Typically … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Entertainment history, Golden Age of Radio, Hollywood history, radio history, television history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tall Tales and Other Oddities – The Fabulous Jackalope of Wyoming

Posted on March 3, 2025 by ahcadmin

On 307 Day – March 7 – we invite you to consider the jackalope. Many are the visitors to Wyoming who have been taken in by the legend of the jackalope. Mounted specimens of the elusive creature can be found … Continue reading →

Posted in Local Folklore, Uncategorized, Western Americana, Wyoming Culture, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Olive Clapper: At the Center of 20th Century Politics and Peace Efforts

Posted on February 24, 2025 by ahcadmin

Few individuals witnessed and participated in pivotal 20th century events as intimately as Olive Ewing Clapper (1896-1968). Born in Kansas City and educated at the University of Kansas, Olive married her childhood sweetheart Raymond Clapper in 1913 after they eloped … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography and profiles, Humanitarianism, Journalism, Literature, Radio and Broadcasting, Uncategorized, Women in History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Culture Beyond Combat: A World War II Chronicle from North Africa

Posted on February 17, 2025 by ahcadmin

“M. Mory, my Fascist friend, had his wife roast up a beautiful rabbit for us. Worthy of a poetess – in a huge Dutch oven with a ring of brown roast potatoes and more than a hint of garlic.” So … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival collections, Journalism, military history, Uncategorized, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“Two Pull Better Than One”: The Love Story of Grace and Agnes

Posted on February 10, 2025 by ahcadmin

In the early days of Wyoming statehood, when Laramie was still finding its footing as a frontier town, two extraordinary women found each other. Grace Raymond Hebard and Agnes Wergeland would go on to become pivotal figures in the University … Continue reading →

Posted in LGBTQIA+, Queer history, Uncategorized, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Through the Stereoscope: White Tourists, Native Prisoners, and the Colonial Gaze

Posted on February 3, 2025 by ahcadmin

One afternoon at the American Heritage Center an old photograph retrieved from deep in the archive propelled me on a fascinating research journey. It also led me to reckon with the power of photography as a colonial tool and to … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical analysis, Native American history, Photography, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beyond Prissy: The Literary Ambitions of Butterfly McQueen

Posted on January 27, 2025 by ahcadmin

In a small collection at the American Heritage Center – apparently the only archival collection of her papers anywhere – actress Butterfly McQueen preserved a series of typescript works that made me wonder: of all her experiences, why did she … Continue reading →

Posted in American Social History, Black History Month, Collections Highlights, Entertainment history, Uncategorized, women's history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Veiled in Gold: The Mysterious History of Disappearing Fore-Edge Decoration

Posted on January 20, 2025 by ahcadmin

The anatomy of a book includes the fore-edge, or the vertical outer edge of a closed volume. The American Heritage Center’s Toppan Rare Books Library holds fourteen specimens of disappearing fore-edge paintings. Eight of these were collected by Charles Chacey … Continue reading →

Posted in Art History, Book arts, Historical Crafts, Library Collections, rare books, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Samuel A. Peeples: From Western Frontiers to Sci-Fi Stardom

Posted on January 13, 2025 by ahcadmin

In 1965, a Western writer helped launch an unexpected science fiction phenomenon. Samuel A. Peeples (1917-1991) was an American screenwriter and novelist whose career spanned genres and mediums, leaving a lasting impact on both Westerns and science fiction. Samuel’s career … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment history, science fiction, television history, Uncategorized, Western fiction, Western genre, Writers and authors | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments