Bah, humbug. The high sheriffs of this rag twisted my arm to write about Victorian Christmas celebrations out West. I’m no Scrooge, but I live in...
A Dickens Christmas
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Art, Guns and Culture
The Mini “Buffalo Gun”
When most people think of the Sharps rifle, it’s a good bet they probably think “Buffalo Gun.” The “Old Reliable” Sharps single-shot rifle was...
Bill Anton
“They’re all real folks,” says Bill Anton, referring to the cowboys and ranchers he depicts with his oils. Most of his work—if not all—evokes the...
Tailor-Made Re-enactor
As I walk across the grounds of the John Brown Museum in Osawatomie, Kansas, during the annual Freedom Festival, I am surrounded by re-enactors. By...
A Tale of Two Shirts
On June 20, 1905, “one of the greatest affairs of the kind” took place, a potlatch feast-giveaway of the belongings of Nez Perce Chief Joseph, who...
Pizza in the Old West
“My wife has been in the habit for several years of putting up tomatoes for winter use…. She says they must be stewed a long time..,” penned a...
Roger Archibald
“Is that pencil?” mocks Western artist and Arizona native Roger Archibald. When people’s eyes first fall upon his black-and-white depictions of...
Thom Ross
“I had a cowboy who came to one of my shows and exclaimed, ‘This isn’t Western art!’” Thom Ross says. “And every painting was of Billy the Kid, Doc...
Snake River Salmon
“While travelling along the Snake River, father secured a fine, large salmon from an Indian, and we looked forward to a good feast at supper time....
Paramount’s Golden Boy
A.C. Lyles, 93 years young, vividly recalls the Western movies he grew up watching. But Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson or Fred Thomson didn’t bring him to...
Gary Ernest Smith
Gary Ernest Smith can often be found creating artworks in his Highland, Utah, studio, or out in the vast, open spaces. “I like the challenge,” Smith...
Head Over Heels
“These boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do. One of these days, these boots are gonna walk all over you.” –”These Boots are...