December 2010 - Vol 2, Issue 12
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Feature
Story
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The (He)art of a Collector - Born or
Bred?
By Linda Kohn
Sherwood
Smoke Signals Editor
I sat down to lunch with one of our cherished collectors,
Carl Robertson. He and his wife Sue Robertson have
a beautiful Los Angeles home filled with creative objects,
reflecting their integrated, exceptional taste. They have
world-class collections of 17-18th century American furniture,
Western Americana, art, textiles, among others, all set in a
physical space that amplifies the beauty of each piece.
I wanted to learn what makes Carl's collecting gene work
so well. And the answer is - he has it in his blood. Growing up
north of Chicago, eventually moving out to a farm community in the
1940s, Carl purchased his first piece at the age of 15 at an old
farm in Wisconsin. No, not trading cards. Not toy horses. But a
drop-leaf dining room table! He bought it he said, because it had
the original finish. Did he have a place of his own at that age to
use or store it? No, of course not. But he had to have it. Did he
purchase it to make money? No, he answers, great collectors love
the objects first, and the possibility of making money with them is
low on the list.
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Featured Photo by Nadine Levin -
Snow Angels
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Nadine grew up in Washington, DC. Riding horses into her teens,
Nadine preferred watching Westerns to playing with dolls. She has
always loved taking photos and studying photography, and once her
children were grown, she jumped in full-time. She finds beauty in
nature and in the animals that share her world, and Nadine offers
us this beauty for December.
www.photographybynadine.com
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Did You Know?
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1. A Christmas
Club, a savings account in which a person deposits
a fixed amount of money regularly to be used at Christmas for
shopping, came about around 1905.
2. America's official national
Christmas tree is located in King's Canyon National
Park in California. The tree, a giant sequoia called the "General
Grant Tree," is over 300 feet (90 meters) high. It was made the
official Christmas tree in 1925.
3. Franklin
Pierce was the first United States' president to
decorate an official White House Christmas tree.
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Social
Media News |
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High
Noon Auction Catalogs |
Purchase Current
and Past High Noon Auction Catalogs
It's easy to purchase current and past High Noon Auction Catalogs.
Stay up-to-date with upcoming auction information and make sure
your library has all of the past catalogs, too. Simply go to our
website for more information.
www.highnoon.com/hncatalogs.htm
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Ray
Pohia
Master
Leather Carver
1922-2010
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Linda's
Feed Bag
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Cowboy Christmas
Old and New...
Molasses Candy
Even for the Western Settlers in the 1800s, Christmas meant
small but savored treats. Here's one simple recipe that made one
family's Christmas just a little bit sweeter.
Molasses Candy (1800s
version in the Wild West)
1 cup molasses
3 cups sugar
2 pans of clean snow
Boil molasses and sugar together until they form a thick syrup.
Pour streams of thick syrup into pans of snow and stir. Spoon out
balls of candy and let them rest until hardened.
Molasses Candy
(2010 version)
1 cup molasses
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp cream of tarter
Mix sugar and cream of tarter together. Add molasses and water.
Stir until sugar is dissolved. Boil without stirring until it
hardens in cold water. Turn onto buttered pan: when cool, work and
cut into sticks.
____________________
Help us
"Put on the Feed Bag!" Appetize us with your favorite cowboy
cuisine. Send us a recipe or culinary creation - keeping the
traditions of the American West alive is about the great food too!
From ribs to rhubarb, campfire food to a great bowl of chili - we
Wild West epicureans want to know.
Submissions welcome at SmokeSignals@highnoon.com.
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Recommended
Reading
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Alias
Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel-
The Biography of Jefferson
Randolph
Smith II
by Jeff Smith
(Great-grandson of
Soapy Smith)
My god, don't Shoot! These last words spoken by Jefferson
Randolph Soapy Smith II ended a career in crime spanning
over twenty years, from 1877 to 1898, and all the Western states
from Colorado to California and from Texas to Alaska.
Jefferson Randolph Soapy Smith II (1860-1898) was an
American, 19th-century confidence man, gambler, and crime boss par
excellence - perhaps the most accomplished street hawker and
all-around bunco artist of his day. Wherever he set up his
tripe & keister (tripod and suitcase), which held the
implements of his nefarious trade, he was certain to draw a large
crowd and succeed in molding it to his will. A colorful and complex
character of the Old West, he became a ruler of rogues and
vagabonds, a friend of the friendless, a protector of criminals,
and a contributor to churches. He devoted his God-given talents and
abilities to the pursuit of the fast buck by employing every
swindling scheme then known to man. He pretended righteousness as
he leveraged to his advantage the greed of his fellow man, who
himself awaited the opportunity to cheat him. He accomplished his
dominance by eliminating chance from his games. In turn, he emptied
the pockets of his victims and bluffed them into silence and
submission. A favorite saying of his was, Do unto others what
they'd like to do to you, but do it first.
Author Jeff Smith's quest to uncover the true details of his
great-grandfather's life began in 1985. Jeff wants the reader to
understand that although he is related to the subject of his book,
he does not pretend to believe Soapy was a good guy or
someone to be admired. Jeff dedicated his book to his
children...in the hope it inspires them to always seek the
truth, even when the truth is not very nice.
1st Edition - 628 pages
www.soapysmith.net
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Collector
News
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Check out the
High Noon-Pedia
Did you know that High Noon has a very comprehensive RESOURCE
DATABASE of the ARTISTS and CRAFTSMEN who have been featured in our
auctions? And they can be found on our website FREE for EVERYONE to
use? It features brief BIOGRAPHIES and TIDBITS of information about
these talented and important individuals and companies. It's our
version of "Western Wikipedia"!
And, in the style of Wikipedia, this is EVERYONE'S database! We
want to know of any corrections, additions or deletions that need
to be made. It's a High Noon family effort and we welcome your
input!
Email us and we'll even give you credit for your submission if you
want!
Check it out: www.highnoon.com/hnartistbios.htm
Email us: smokesignals@highnoon.com
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Dealer
Spotlight
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Brian
Lebel
The New
Englander Turned Cowboy
So, when asked how a young man born and raised in Massachusetts
ends up, first in Cody, WY then in Denver, CO as a show and auction
promoter..."Ever since I was six years old I wanted to move to
Wyoming and be a cowboy," was Brian Lebel's response. Was your
family an influence? Was your dad into the West? "No, not at all.
Quite the contrary actually," he furthered. So, all we can assume
is Brian Lebel was "to the West born" and here today he thrives and
lives the life he loves. And, he made his dream at 6 years old a
reality. Let's take a look at how this all happened.
It all started with guns and a generation of family employed by
Smith & Wesson in Springfield, MA. So, in family tradition,
Brian, just after graduating high school, went to work there as a
fitter. On the side, he started doing gun shows in 1972, dealing in
both contemporary and antique guns with a particular affection for
Winchester Lever Actions. He also began to collect antiques with a
keen interest in advertising. Juggling his full-time job, he
managed to set-up at 30 shows a year where he began to meet people
who would become his life-long friends and colleagues. "In those
days, there were only two Western shows in the country, one in
Loveland (CO) and one in Amarillo (TX). So, if you wanted to buy
and sell Western antiques, your choices were the gun shows or
general antique shows."
But it was Brian's passion for Winchester guns that would end up
fulfilling his boyhood dream. He attended a Winchester Gun show in
Cody (WY) in 1981 and fell in love with the town. He returned to
Springfield, gave two weeks notice to Smith & Wesson, packed up
and moved across the country to Cody, WY. He landed a job as a
ranch hand doing everything from running horses to guiding groups
in the mountains. "It's not as glamorous as it sounds, that's for
sure," was his comment on that career move. But he lived his cowboy
dream for a couple of years until he married and knew he needed a
more serious and stable way to earn a living. So, in 1987, he
opened Old West Antiques in Cody, WY, a gallery and store that
thrived until 2003 when he moved to Scottsdale (AZ).
It was just about that time, 1990 to be specific, that is he
started the first Cody Old West Show and Auction. At
first, he thought it would be a great way to get all of his friends
and colleagues who he hadn't seen in a long time up to Cody. The
doors opened to the first Cody Old West Show 21 years ago
to 35 dealers. "The show was so small at the beginning, that in the
evening for the auction, we had to move all the dealer tables out
and move chairs in for the auction. When it was over, we moved all
the tables back," he recalls with a smile. That's a far cry from
the scene now, walking into his Denver Old West Show and
Auction at the Merchandise Mart. While Brian's passion and
commitment to ensure the rich legacy of the West continues to
thrive, there's certainly more than 235 dealers at his show and he
doesn't have to move tables around anymore.
Yes, the Denver Old West Show and Auction is world class, but for
Brian, it's always been and still is about the people who share his
goals and dreams. It's about the relationships he's developed over
the years, the sharing of knowledge and the quest to never stop
learning and promoting our Western heritage for generations to
come. It's the mutual support and friendships that he treasures,
and he feels so lucky to be able to share these common goals and
dreams. And speaking of generations to come, there are another
couple of generations of Lebels behind the scenes. Brian is
grandfather to 5, ranging in ages from 5 to 12. When asked if
they're into the Cowboy and Western thing? "Well no, not really."
Sometimes Brian can be a man of few words. But as we know,
sometimes less is more and those rivers run very deep.
Today, Brian shares his life with Melissa McCracken, an absolute
dynamo in her own right. As the saying goes, "behind every happy
man is a..." and in this case, it's Melissa - and we at High Noon
think she is as great as he does.
Anyone with roots in the East Coast, New England in particular,
know that people generally don't leave, much less to become cowboys
in the West. For Brian, his roots still go back there, his family
is still there, a mom whom he treasures and the lobsters that he
still yearns for. But Brian has swapped his New England roots and
set them down, deeply, in the West. And we are grateful he has done
so!
Brian Lebel
www.denveroldwest.com
cody258@cox.net
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,Our
Inner Cowgirl
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Share Cameron
American
Indian Artist Advocate
and Aficionado Extraordinaire
When Share Cameron walks into a room, you know she has arrived. Her
elegance, grace and passion for who she is and what she does, fills
the room with energy. Always dressed to the nines in
classic rich, Santa Fe style, she not only walks the walk but she
talks the talk about her mission in life - to promote and support
the incredible art and design being created by Native
Americans.
Not necessarily a dream you would expect from a girl born and
raised in Toronto, yet her life unfolded in a journey that would
lead her into discovering the riches of the American Indian culture
and designs. It was the Northridge Earthquake in Los Angeles that
would change her life. Landing in L A for a number of years where
she obtained her degree in massage therapy and had a thriving
practice in Shiatsu and Reiki, the 1994 big rumbler found her body
injured and her possessions mostly broken. That was it. She packed
up what she had left and moved to Santa Fe. Needing a job, she
began working at Packard's on the Plaza where she began to study
and learn the depth and beauty of what the Native American artists
were creating. She met and was embraced by the finest jewelers,
kachina carvers, and weavers and their passion traveled deep into
her soul.
And then, like kismet, the man who would become her life partner
and husband walked through the door. Yes, it was world famous
Native American silversmith Gibson Nez who would steal her heart
and take her on a journey, crisscrossing the country doing
exhibitions and shows, from New York to Las Vegas. She was always
at his side and became his biggest advocate. But something else was
happening along the way. Share was developing the deepest
understanding of who these people were and the art they created.
She was also able to see first hand, that Native Americans are
continually challenged in the areas of self-promotion and cultural
assimilation.
As her life journey continued, Gibson passed away and Share found
herself needing space to recover and regroup her life. She returned
back to Los Angeles with the goal of returning to her previous life
of healing, her massage therapy career. In a very short time
however, she realized something was missing and felt like a fish
out of water. She missed Santa Fe and the inspiration of rich art
culture. Sometimes though, you have to leave to discover what it is
you truly want. It's been her recent time in Los Angeles where she
has re-discovered what her true passion is - promoting and
supporting the finest Native American artists and designers, taking
them to markets and worlds they might not get to on their own. She
wants the world to see, know and appreciate the beauty of their
work as truly world class. And, to this end, Share knows Santa Fe
is her true home and she will be returning there in spring.
High Noon is extremely honored to support Share Cameron's mission
to do just this. Educating people and exposing them to this amazing
work is what will ensure that the richness of the Native American
cultures will continue to be woven into everyone's lives and thrive
for centuries to come.
Share has created an online portal to do just this. Share, The
Inner Sanctuary is where you will find the resources for, and
work of the best American Indian artists. But Share is more than
just a website. She's out there, face-to-face, at shows, museum
exhibitions and more, promoting these amazing people.
Again, like Kismet, while in Los Angeles, Share connected with and
has become an integral team member of the DesignAmerica Foundation,
an organization committed solely to the promotion of America's
truly independent artists and designers.
Share Cameron - one dedicated diva determined to take Native
American design to the top of the charts.
Share Cameron
www.sharetheinnersanctuary.com
ShareCam@roadrunner.com
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Expressions
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Sioux Bowcase - Quiver
By Benson L.
Lanford
As for most material culture objects, American Indians perhaps
unconsciously often considered any given object as a tabula
rasa - plain and awaiting decoration. No doubt the majority of
things made for their own use remained unadorned and essentially
utilitarian in nature. However, Indian people readily converted an
amazing number of object types into virtual objects d'art. Such
objects include-perhaps unexpectedly, household articles, tools and
utensils, all types of clothing, and weapons. An important
consideration is the fact that in addition to the way objects are
constructed or tailored, along with the component materials, are as
significant for tribal recognition as are the elaborative
techniques, colors, and especially the specific designs or motifs
the maker-artists select. The type of materials employed depends in
part on the range of things available in the locale - or on trade
with the outside, be it with other Indian groups or with
Euro-Americans. The preparation of the component materials depends
on the knowledge and skill of the person at work - and these being
preceded by countless generations of experience on part of one's
people. The structure of objects conforms to tribal tradition and
taste; likewise, the component materials themselves, and manner of
and the designs used in the ornamentation. All of these features
combine so that a given object makes a statement of who I
am / who we are - whether tribe, band, clan, society,
family, or individual.
This bowcase-quiver set from the Western Sioux or Lakota
(as the people term themselves) serves as a classic example of the
unanticipated adornment of objects. Native materials as well as
things obtained in trade merge in the finished
product. Native-tanned leather (in this case likely domestic cow
hide), porcupine quills colored with aniline dyes, sinew,
commercial thread, and perhaps most importantly - glass seed
beads from Europe. As well metal awls and needles were
undoubtedly used in the construction and decoration of the set. The
bow is wholly the product of native materials, but the arrows are a
combination-native shafts and feathers, and sinew binding the arrow
points of introduced metal.
The narrow lanes of porcupine quillwork conform to a common Sioux
approach to the medium, with red as the prevalent color choice. It
is understood that the use of parallel lines in this manner
symbolizes the ways of living in traditional Indian manner - the
Red Road, if you will. This configuration of quilled lines
was applied to various things, including moccasins, tobacco bags,
storage bags of tanned hide, and buffalo robes. The
lanestitch beadwork technique employed on this set derives
from that used in the quillwork. The hourglass motifs are
composites of the tipi (tent) design. They can be viewed
as representing the village or tiospaye, the locus wherein
a person or the owner-warrior of the bowcase-quiver set lived, and
that he had pledged to defend. The beadwork colors are likewise
typical for Lakota beadwork; the medium light blue background was
especially favored by the more northerly Western Sioux groups
located on the Standing Rock and Fort Peck Reservations in North
Dakota and Montana, respectively.
This bowcase will
be offered January 29th at the High Noon Western Americana auction
in Mesa, AZ.
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Roaming
Range Reporter
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How the Settlers
of the Wild West
Celebrated Christmas
In the 1800s, the Western settlers had to learn to celebrate
Yuletide without all the elaborate trappings of the holiday they
may have known Back East for they did not exist here in
the great void of the American frontier. Taking from nature what
they could, they made the best Christmas possible using the day for
much needed respites and spending time with neighbors if they
could, focusing on their optimism for the future. In one account
from 1836 Colorado, only two neighbors shared Christmas together
but they danced the night away.
As hunting was necessary for survival, some new Yuletide traditions
developed such as competitive sporting events testing marksmanship skills. Meals were simple with
feasts of wild game (rabbit and buffalo), many times they became
the "prize" of such activities. Home brewed alcohol probably added
to the festive atmosphere. Eastern style decorations were
creatively replaced with local natural vegetation, fashioned from
the land.
Often faced with blizzard conditions and bitter cold, in the spirit
of their tenacity and fortitude which took them to the great West,
Christmas celebrations were often very simple and sometimes just
another day of averting starvation.
Gifts were fashioned from the land and usually comprised of
necessities.
Taking a look back to the Western Settler's Christmas, perhaps it's
a good reminder that it's not about all the glitz and the gifts,
but about the people you share your life and dreams with - a time
to appreciate what we have. From all of us, we would like to wish
all of you, our High Noon family, the most wonderful of holidays.
You are important to us and we wouldn't have it any other
way.
For a bit of humor, here is a reprint of the Bill of Fare for
Christmas Day, 1848, as served at Camp Desolation,
Colorado.
For a look at some
of the wonderful
Christmas ornaments
and decorations inspired
by these times of yore,
we turn to our own
Theresa and Danny Verrier,
whose house and tree
reflect this holiday spirit.
Photo: A selection of glass
antique ornaments that
deck out Danny and
Theresa's tree, plus
one of their favorites.
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and
Furthermore...
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This month
we present cowboy poetry by Russell Petter, The Keywest
Kowboy...
Was it just my imagination,...
or was it my wishful anticipation,...
When I looked out from the front porch tonight,...
I am sure,..that I saw a white dually truck drive by,...
Was it my imagination,...
or was it my wishful anticipation,...
Tonight at the rodeo,..
I looked out from behind the bucking chutes,...
I am sure,.... that I saw you there,...
watching from the box seats,...
waiting in anticipation of my next ride.
Was it my imagination,...
or was it my wishful anticipation,...
as I took ahold of the rein,..
and begain to spur my bronc,...
I am so sure...that I saw you there,...
At the rodeo dance,...
I spun a pretty girl around,..
and when I did,..
I saw your pretty face in the front row,..
of the rodeo crowd,..
Was it my imagination,..
or was it wishful anticipation,...
Guess I will never know,...
since you left with him,...
and I left the dance all alone.
Was it my imagination,..
or was it wishful anticipation,...
Went to the round pen today,..
just me and a colt,....
thought I saw you from the distance,...
watching and waiting,...
as the colt broke into a lope.
Was it my imagination,..
or was it wishful aniticpation,...
Just won the championship of the world,...
cannot believe that I could do it by myself,...
just a good horse to ride,...and a judges good score,...
Was it my imagination,...
or was it wishful aniticipation,...
when I thought I saw you from the distance,...
watching and waiting,...
from the front row as I received the Gold Buckle.
Was it my imagination,...
or was it wishful anticipation.
Or maybe my eyes or not so good,...
But,...was it my imagination,...
or was it wishful anticipation,...
as I saw you from the distance,...
watching and waiting,!!!!
Russell Petter
The Keywest Kowboy
petterrussell@yahoo.com
Russell grew up in a small town, Robinson, Texas, and got married
and moved to an even smaller town, McGregor, Texas, where he lived
for over 20 years. Years later, a new neighbor moved in next door
(15 minutes away), President George W. Bush who decided to buy a
ranch in Crawford, Texas. Russell started writing about 20 years
ago, just for fun. His writing is an expression of what he knows,
what he doesn't know, and what he still wants to know.
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Upcoming
Events |
NOW thru
January 9, 2011 21st Century
Regionalists: The Art of the Next West Rockwell Museum of
Western Art, Corning, NY
December 18,
2010 Native American Community Drumming
Circle Indianapolis, IN
December 28-January 1, 2011 60th Annual Arizona National Stock
Show/Cowboy Classics Phoenix, AZ
January 21-22, 2011 22nd Annual Colorado Cowboy
Gathering Denver, CO
January 24-29, 2011 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Elko,
NV
January 29-30, 2011 High Noon 3-Day Western Americana
Event Mesa, AZ
February
3-6, 2011 3rd Annual Texas Crossroads Cowboy
Gathering Van Horn,
TX
February 3-20, 2011 San Antonio Stock Show and
Rodeo San Antonio, TX
February 10-13, 2011 63rd Annual Gold Rush Days
Wickenburg, AZ
February 15-18, 2011 (TCAA) Steel Engraving for Bit
& Spur Makers Workshop Oklahoma City, OK
February 18-20, 2011 Spirit of the West Cowboy Gathering
Ellensburg, WA
February 19-27, 2011 La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Rodeo Tucson,
AZ
February 24-27, 2011 Saddle UP! Pigeon Forge, TN
February 25-27, 2011 25th Annual Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Alpine, TX
March 10-13, 2011 8th Annual Southeastern Cowboy
Gathering Cartersville,
GA
March 19-20, 2011 The Golden California Show Glendale,
CA
March 24-27, 2011 Palm Springs WestFest & Rodeo Palm
Springs, CA
April 27-May 1, 2011 Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival Santa Clarita,
CA
April 28-30, 2011 Gathering of Nations Pow Wow Albuquerque,
NM
May 6-8, 2011 DesignAmerica-Texas Grapevine, TX
June 24-26, 2011 Brian Lebel's Old West Show &
Auction Denver, CO
September 20-23, 2011 Bit Making: Form & Function
Workshop (TCAA) Oklahoma City, OK
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Don't Fret About the Future - Invest in the Past!
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Send us a Smoke
Signal
Smoke Signals is for and about all of the wonderful people in our
High Noon family. If you have news you want to share, hot tips on
what's going on in the Western Americana world or just a suggestion
of something you'd like to see us cover, send us an email at smokesignals@highnoon.com
___________________________________________
Chief Publisher: High Noon Western
Americana
Chief Editor: Linda Kohn Sherwood
Chief Art Director: Robin Ireland, Ireland Graphic Design
Chief Graphic Designer: Curtis Hill, Art Direction Services
Chief Writer: Jayne Skeff, JSLA Media Solutions
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