FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Lonesome Dove Reunion and Trail Costume Exhibition to be Highlighted at National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
“Bullets and Bustles: Costumes of Lonesome Dove” on Display February 19 – April 17, 2016
FORT WORTH, TEXAS (January 21, 2016) – The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame – the only museum in the world dedicated to honoring women of the American West who have displayed extraordinary courage in their trailblazing efforts – will be the second stop on the Lonesome Dove Reunion and Trail with “Bullets and Bustles: Costumes of Lonesome Dove,” opening February 19 and running through April 17, 2016.
The exhibition will feature the costumes of Captain Augustus “Gus” McCrae, Captain Woodrow F. Call, Joshua Deets, and Clara Allen. All costumes were carefully conceived by Emmy award-winning costume designer, Van Ramsey, and crafted for the filming of the TV miniseries, Lonesome Dove. Each costume is on loan from the Lonesome Dove Collection in the Wittliff Collections, located in the Albert B. Alkek Library at Texas State University, San Marcos.
Photographs taken by Bill Witliff, the screenwriter, who had the foresight to not only document the miniseries as it was being made through photography, but also to collect costumes, props and sketches, will also be on display in the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame’s exhibition.
“Movies and television shows and characters about the West have come and gone since the dawn of home entertainment. But, few characters have struck a chord with generations of audiences like Gus and Call,” said Dr. Diana Vela, National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Associate Executive Director, Exhibits and Education. “We are thrilled to have this exhibition at the National Cowgirl Museum and especially proud to have a costume of Clara Allen’s. We claim her as one of our own.”
Lonesome Dove, the miniseries, aired in 1989 and was subsequently nominated for almost every Emmy category that was available at that time. It is a four part adaption of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, by Larry McMurtry. Credited with revitalizing the miniseries as a format and Westerns as a viable genre, Lonesome Dove captivated audiences in its initial showing over four nights in February of 1989. At its most basic, the show follows two retired Texas Ranger Captains who go on a final journey – pushing two thousand head of cattle north from the Rio Grande to Montana territory.
The Lonesome Dove Reunion and Trail kicked off January 15, 2016, and will make stops at multiple locations in Fort Worth, Texas, and one venue in Albany, Texas, through July 23, 2016. Exhibitions will feature costumes, props, photographs and other items on loan from the extensive Lonesome Dove Production Archive, which is permanently held at the Wittliff Collections. Activities along the Lonesome Dove Trail are open to the public. For more information, visit www.LonesomeDoveReunion.com. To receive regular updates on related events and activities, follow Lonesome Dove Reunion and Trail on Facebook and #lonesomedovereunion on Twitter.
For more news about the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, visit www.cowgirl.net, and follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NCMHOF, Twitter at www.twitter.com/cowgirlmuseum, Instagram www.instagram.com/cowgirlmuseum, Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/cowgirlmuseum, and YouTube at: www.youtube.com/user/cowgirlmuseum.
About the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame honors and celebrates women, past and present, whose lives exemplify the courage, resilience, and independence that helped shape the American West, and fosters an appreciation of the ideals and spirit of self-reliance they inspire. The Hall of Fame’s purpose is twofold: to preserve the history and impact of western women living from the mid-1800s to present day, and to foster an appreciation for their ideals and spirit of self-reliance. These women are the legacy of legends — artists and writers, champions and competitive performers, entertainers, ranchers (stewards of land and livestock), trailblazers and pioneers. The Museum is considered an invaluable national educational resource for its exhibits, research library, rare photograph collection, and award-winning distance-learning programs for grades K-12 and adults.
Located at 1720 Gendy Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76107, the Cowgirl is open Monday (Memorial Day to Labor Day) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for children ages 3 to 12 and senior citizens (60+) and $10 for adults (ages 13+). For more information, please visit www.cowgirl.net or call 817-476-FAME (3263).
About The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University
The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University were founded in 1986 by Bill Wittliff, Lonesome Dove screenwriter and co-executive producer, and his wife Sally. The Wittliff Collections, located in the Alkek Library at Texas State University, are devoted to collecting, preserving and sharing the creative legacy of the Southwest through literature, photography, film, and music. For more information, please visit www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Tara Trask
817-509-8969
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