The ProRodeo Hall of Fame is thrilled to announce the completion of its Panoramic and Oversized Photograph Project. This project started in 2019 when the Hall received a Save America’s Treasures Grant from the National Parks Service administered by the Institute for Museum and Library Services. This grant was to help with the humidifying, flattening, cleaning, repairing, and digitizing of 120 panoramic and oversized photographs that dated from 1912 to 1959. The Hall was awarded $95,500 in grant money that had to be met, dollar for dollar, by the Hall of Fame.
After an extension due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hall and the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts were able to complete the project this September. The Hall wishes to thank the many individuals, businesses, corporations, and rodeo committees that helped match the grant funds through their generous donations.
The photographs, which had not been thoroughly studied since their arrival at the Hall, received top treatment and are now available for viewing on the Hall of Fame’s digital database and in a physical display in the Hall of Fame’s 101 Gallery. Some of the rodeos featured in the photographs are the Hoot Gibson Rodeo, the Madison Square Garden Rodeos, the Southwestern Exhibition (Fort Worth), and the North Plate Rodeo. (Can you change the button at the right to link to the database exhibit instead of the Donate button?)
The Hall of Fame is looking for volunteers who would like to help in identifying the cowboys and cowgirls in the photographs. Since most of the images date to the first days of the Cowboys’ Turtle Association, many rodeo legends are pictured. Most often seen are Everett Bowman and Hugh Bennett, both Turtle Association officers. To learn more about volunteering, please contact the Hall of Fame at 719-528-4764.
Conservation of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame Panoramic and Oversized Photograph Collection is being supported in part by a Federal Save America’s Treasures grant administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. To learn more about IMLS, visit www.imls.gov.
