The Western Pursuit of the American Dream: Selections from the Collection of Kenneth W. Rendell
July 17, 2004 - April 24, 2005
Rich in natural resources, cultures, and opportunities, the American West has made dreamers of generations of Americans. The exhibition "The Western Pursuit of the American Dream" presents the outstanding holdings of collector Kenneth W. Rendell to tell the story of the dream of freedom and opportunity in the West and how it inspired adventures, trade, and legends. Nearly 200 spectacular objects chronicle the West through the actual words and artifacts of explorers, travelers, warriors, gold seekers, merchants, outlaws—dreamers all—who shaped the American frontier. The exhibition is on view July 17, 2004, through April 24, 2005.
The journey of "The Western Pursuit of the American Dream" begins with the Spanish in Mexico and ends with filmmakers in Hollywood. It includes stops to explore the fur trade, cartography, industry, artistry, and tourism. Mr. Rendell's collection speaks to the visitor through letters, diaries and first-hand descriptions, as well as the intriguing artifacts he has collected over a period of nearly fifty years. Treasures such as a first edition of the History of the Expedition... of Captains Lewis and Clark, and personal accounts by traders, trappers, and travelers provide a close-up glimpse of the West. The story is also told through remarkable artifacts—a Cheyenne baby carrier, a mountain man's shot pouch, gold gathered by forty-niners, and a gun owned by Sitting Bull. "These remnants of the past," said Mr. Rendell, "express as no historian can, the realities, anxieties, and hope of a new life that the West represented. This sense of hope was not exclusive to the people who actually went there, but was also felt by those who merely fantasized about escaping to the frontier."
The trek by Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and their Corps of Discovery is one of America's legendary adventures. Silver peace medals like those used by Lewis and Clark to gain the trust of Indian leaders are on view. A extraordinarily rare, first-edition map of Lewis and Clark's journey, which portrayed far more territory than anticipated and further fueled the lure of the West, is an exhibition highlight.
The exhibition presents Mr. Rendell's overview of how the West's distinctive landscape, as well as the opportunity it held, affected many 19th-century Americans. Exceptional examples of Indian trade silver, peace medals, pipe tomahawks, and muskets, offer a look into the dealings of businesses like John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company and bring the era of the fur trade to life. Colorful descriptions of adventures by traders show how such accounts persuaded others to make a living in the wilderness.
Adventuring artists at work in the territories helped shape American and European ideas about Indians and their culture. Painters like Karl Bodmer and George Catlin not only observed, but provided written descriptions of the native people and customs they considered fascinating in the 1830s and 1840s. Prints like Bodmer's Bison Dance of the Mandan Indians and Catlin's Ball-Play Dance worked to preserve the even-then vanishing way of life.
In the 1840s, the era of Manifest Destiny, Americans were consumed with dreams of settling the West. The time period is recalled through a fascinating selection of "emigrant guides" used by travelers to cross the continent. Publications like The Route Across the Rocky Mountains and Emigrants' Guide to Oregon and California present a look at the track used for the first great overland migration.
Miners soon followed emigrants to the West. The story of the California gold rush is told through evocative early photographs of miners and their effects. Panning equipment, travel guides, gold nuggets, and coins are just some of the objects that speak to the dream of striking it rich in places where streets were purportedly paved in gold.
Others found ways to earn a living in the West. Soon after the Civil War, industrialization spread with the transcontinental railroad. Within two years of its completion in 1869, passengers and freight could cross the continent in a matter of days. Stereograph images from events like the Golden Spike Ceremony, and the idealized prints of railroad travel by Currier and Ives fueled enthusiasm for many to pursue opportunity in the West.
"This exhibition also explores how the Indians were correct in feeling invaded by the railroad," said Mr. Rendell. "For the Indians, the railroad represented the beginning of the end. Within 30 years they would be forced onto reservations." Mr. Rendell's collection evokes the Indian ways of life that were virtually destroyed by the advent of the railroad. Superb examples of Indian artifacts include a Plains pictorial buffalo hide, a Sioux dance rattle, and a complete Mandan warrior dress, including shirt, leggings, and headdress, to name just a few.
The tourism industry in the West was launched in the wake of the opening of the railroad. Eye-catching posters advertised train service to then-exotic places like the Grand Canyon. A nine-passenger open coach used to tour visitors through Yellowstone is sure to spark the visitor's imagination.
"The Western Pursuit of the American Dream" also reveals the tension between the romance and the realities of the West. The exhibition presents Davy Crockett stories, the sculptures of Frederic Remington, and tales of cowboys that often portray an idealized view of life. Even the story of the infamous outlaw Jesse James depicts a complex character that was both admired and loathed in his day. The exciting Pony Express is shown to have been a short-lived venture that operated for only 18 months in the mid-19th century.
The exhibition also examines the widespread public fascination in the 19th century with all things Native American. While the U.S. government worked to make the traditional ways of life vanish, collecting artifacts associated with legendary leaders like Sitting Bull and Geronimo was extremely popular. Photographer Edward Curtis worked for more than 30 years to capture his view of the Indian through stately and poignant portraits.
"The Western Pursuit of the American Dream" concludes with a look at how the history of the West fit naturally with the Hollywood dream-machine. Watching movies like Stagecoach and television shows such as Bonanza have made people around the world feel that they know the American West. A cowboy hat autographed by Errol Flynn and other celebrities symbolizes how generations of American have fallen in love with the wild, imagined place that filmmakers portrayed.
"It is important to remember that the people presented in this exhibition were dreamers," said Mr. Rendell. "In fact, the American West still inspires modern-day dreams in industry, education, and business. This is the story of the pursuit of dreams. You could say it is the story of human nature itself."
"The Western Pursuit of the American Dream," is accompanied by a fully-illustrated, four-color, 358-page book by the same name written by Kenneth W. Rendell. The book is available in the Museum's Heritage Shop for $39.95. Kenneth Rendell is a dealer in historical letters and documents, with offices in Boston and a gallery on Madison Avenue.