October 23, 1999
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The first of a 63-piece collection of early maps and newspaper etchings was seen for the first time at the grand opening. About 30 of the pieces are now on display. Newspaper items related to Yellowstone will be placed on display in October. The items are a gift of the G.J. Gutherie Nicholson Trust of Thermopolis. The maps date from 1772 to 1910. The newspaper etchings cover a period from 1860-1908. The items are originals, not reprints. Although a few similar items are on display in the state, no other museum has such an extensive collection of early newspaper etchings on display. The new materials add historical and educational depth to the displays. They are of special interest to educators since they can be used with classroom activities and standards. |
NEW EXHIBIT: YELLOWSTONE AND THE EARLY JOURNALISTS Thermopolis, Wyo. - The news media played a major role in making Yellowstone National Park the greatest natural attraction in the American West, according to a new display at the Old West Wax Museum.
"Yellowstone -- for the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People" includes early-day newspaper etchings and stories that appeared in the national news from 1872 -- the year Yellowstone became the first national park -- until 1910.
The papers are original copies of Frank Leslie's Illustrated News, Harper's Weekly, Illustrated Christian Weekly, Aldine, Picturesque America, International Christian Weekly, London Graphic and Illustrated London News. They reveal how influential national and international newspapers were in creating the myth of the American West and an active tourism industry.
In 1870, Henry D. Washburn, Montana's surveyor general, led eight men into the wilderness to prove -- or disprove -- the stories of fantastic geysers, glass mountains and boiling paint pools. The party crossed 7,000-foot-high ridges in deep snow and trekked through forests so thick the branches scraped the packs off the horses. They were stalked by mountain lions, endured bitter cold, food poisoning and dysentery. But they confirmed the stories and set the wheels in motion for the official expedition of Ferdinand Hayden, with photographer William Henry Jackson and artist Thomas Moran.
The collection includes several newspaper etchings drawn from Moran and Jackson's work. The papers are part of a collection purchased for the museum by the G.J. Gutherie Nicholson Trust of Thermopolis.
The Old West Wax Museum is open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information: 307/864-9396.