Reel or Reality?

Storied Histories of Film’s Indigenous Cultures and Cowboys

Ongoing

Geronimo, 1993.
The Dr. Rennard Strickland Collection of Western Film History

A small selection of posters from the more than 7,000 movie posters in The Dr. Rennard Strickland Collection of Western Film History is displayed in the Virginia G. Piper Theater. This exhibition is ongoing and continuously rotating throughout the year. Several pieces from this collection are also available to view online as part of our See the West from Home online exhibit.

A Lasting Legacy

The late Dr. Rennard Strickland spent more than 50 years amassing a fantastic collection of posters, lobby cards, and associated ephemera. Dr. Strickland was of Osage and Cherokee heritage. He was a Senior Scholar in Residence at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. His presence and generosity affected many people ranging from Tribal members, faculty and staff, his students, museum professionals, and his friends and family.

From the American West, Australia, Arabia to outer space, this selection of posters investigates the narratives and storytelling in these Western films as told by real and fictional people. In addition, these movies examine Indigenous and non-Native perspectives about racial inequalities, commodification, ethnocentrism, and the structure of social relationships.

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