The town can be big enough if you just gave a cowboy a story.
The frontier, more popularly known as cowboys and the west, are often used in film and TV shows. Usually being seen with long barrel firearms and spitting into buckets, there have been a fair share of tv programs set during the late 19th century. The dramas that can be written into historical times is endless. It becomes difficult to not think of Clint Eastwood pointing a revolver at you. TV shows in particular have fallen into a bad pattern of creating unrealistic scenery, situations, or dialogue to create a more exciting series. While no one can doubt alcohol was a huge part of olden times, excessive amounts of modern-day profanity and over dramatic reactions were not a huge part of the western culture.
The stories made by both living and fictional characters have entertained generations of people. However, the exaggerated quality of historical characters has created a new kind of western frontier, and it may not be the right way to remember the people who were just like us. The depiction of cowboys that only curse, drink, and act out of violence can be reversed in some ways. While these traits were a part of what makes cowboys... Well, cowboys. The missing element of the maturation of these characters are often forgotten and to avoid the subject, they are shot down in a duel.
Lonesome Dove is a story of just that, western characters living their lives and facing the challenges of having to grow up and mature. Being written in 1971 by Larry McMurtry, was meant to depict Texas Rangers in the west and how they interact with both the land and their daily challenges. In 1989, the epic was written into a TV Mini-Series by William D. Wittliff. The realistic plot line is paired perfectly with clothing and settings that match. Showing viewers that the frontier was not just guns and alcohol, but also had meaning and daily struggles still known today. On the seventh floor of the Alkek Library at Texas State University, the Wittliff Collections resides. The collection was started by William (Bill) Wittliff and his wife in 1987 to showcase cultures of the southwest as mentioned in the official website. Even with this display filled with different exhibitions related to cultures from around the region, there’s a certain spot that is unavoidable. Towards the back there’s a very special room that requires access. Just before entering room, there are photos lining the hallway of people who are dressed in western clothing and look like they can be placed within the old west. These are all photographs taken by Bill Wittliff while on set. It plays as a kind of teaser, being the only portion of the collection available to the public without staff help. It also helps start the setting of late 1800s, using a black and white filter that adds authenticity. A similar tactic used with the series as well. The exhibition itself is a permanent part of the gallery. Before someone enters, a set of brown double doors stops them from going in, usually locked, one of the staff needs to open the doors. Just above the doorway, the title of the exhibition reads in a gradient movie title font, “The Lonesome Dove Collection.”
As soon as the doors open, the viewer sees two mannequins standing by each other, framing a wooden slab that seems to be a sign for a store. The mannequin on the left is a woman, put in an off-white dress that is lined with buttons from the collar to the hem. On the right, there is a male mannequin dressed in a pale colored button-down shirt and brown pants, finished off with a red bandana tied at his neck and a cowboy hat. From the stance of the two mannequins, it appears they are a couple who owns a family business. Directly to the right of the entrance, two more mannequins stand. One a woman and the other child, dressed a more formally when compared to the first couple. The woman’s dress is fitted to her figure and seems to be made from a thick material. The child is covered with a looser outfit, the outer layer of material looking more breathable when compared to the woman. Moving around the room to the right one sees hanging on a wall a wooden sign with a white dove, in front stands two more mannequins. The closest one is similar to the one in front of the doors. The second mannequin is wearing a long trench coat, covering most of his outfit.Towards the entrance, on the right side of the door, a final mannequin stands.Being dressed in a reddish gown with an old design pattern fit for what would seem to be the time period of the frontier. Wrapped around her shoulders lays a shawl or scarf the color a nice light brown that matches her bonnet.
The detailing of the clothes themselves really make them seem like real clothes and not just costumes for actors. Seeing the clothing up close shows how no shortcuts were taken in design on set. The multiple layers and muted colors are appropriate for not just the time period, but the social class as well. While vibrant colors were most likely achievable, they would have been too expensive for working class families and citizens. It would be more likely to see a muted or dull color during this time period. It gives a genuine feel to the west and makes the story come to life in a more legitimate way.
Behind the half wall placed in the center of the room are sketches and other designs. Literally a “behind the scenes” look into the work done to create the clothing that sits on the mannequins in the room. On the wall across from the dove sign, four pictures hang on the walls. A certain part of the exhibition is a wooden cabinet filled with small sketches and even script copies from the TV short series. A collection of hats sits at the bottom shelf of the cabinet, with pictures of the characters that wore them in place respectively.
Lonesome Dove is a rare look at a more realistic depiction of what life would have been like in the west. This is more or less due to the true story that helped form the Lonesome Dove. Using a basis of real events is what led to the TV series to being as accurate as it is at depicting the time period so well. The sketches and designing of the setting down to the recreation of maps shows the dedication and artistic drive that went into the series.
The arrangement of the exhibition really feels like a time capsule. If the pictures and autographed memorabilia had not been present, it could have fooled visitors to think they were old clothes worn in the early nineteenth century. The romanticizing of the frontier as a soap opera that is extremely different from modern day problems becomes a common way to look at the stories that would have been shared. The joking of diseases such as dysentery have also made an impact on how the nineteenth century is remembered by the world today. Seeing the Lonesome Dove exhibition gives a sudden reality check, letting people remember that the characters they see on the big screen are just characters. The same arguments that they hear every day are the same small arguments that would have been heard by these characters. Hearing a child complain about doing chores is a common part of almost every culture; foreign, modern, or historic. Cowboys were people too, they often times needed a small wake up call that would cause them the struggle of maturing and living life the way they see fit. The small details within the set designs and costumes for the miniseries brings the characters of the Lonesome Dove to life without even seeing the series or reading the book. They are easily placed into a category, but they seem real. Walking around the exhibition and seeing the clothes and the props brings the characters to life, even if they never existed at all.
The changes over time that lead to the depiction of the Old West as cowboys, guns, and alcohol are not a bad thing. Entertainment is entertainment after all. The importance of the stories that would have existed should not suffer just because of it. The beauty behind history are the stories that often come with it. The creativity of writers and fictional works are limited to publications before them. Research, surprisingly, is not fun for everyone. Lonesome Dove is a good example of how fictional works don’t have to be entirely fiction, including the setting. It should also lead by example of proper vernacular and dialect, but that’s a different issue for a different time.
The Lonesome Dove Collection gives a forever home for the effort and success behind the TV mini-series and the stories it held. Showcasing the incredible job done on and off set give respect to an era that was faced with many hardships and moments of self-awareness in just what life is all about. The accuracy and beauty of the characters and their surroundings should not go without applause or attention. As one of the main characters Gus says, “It ain’t dying I’m talking about, it’s living. I doubt it matters where you die, but it matters where you live.” The stories of these characters tend to be overshadowed by the settings they come from, and while that is important it seems to be the only thing of importance. The mini-series finds a way to not only depict a beautiful scenery, but also brings to life characters just as stunning.
Cowboys were tough men of the frontier, but like everyone else they were human. They faced inner conflict and inner struggles just as much as a regular ol’ joe walking down the street. The art of storytelling gives freedoms to take away certain elements of character for the sake of plot or extra dashes of drama here and there. But how long will it take before a cowboy is dramatically falling down the steps of a saloon at two miles per hour and being replayed in different cut scenes. Not that I would be against seeing that, if someone already has, please send it to me. Dramas are fun and entertaining; it's nice to relax and enjoy time cozy in a blanket and watching a duel happen between two cowboys that are just too attractive to be real. However, that should not be the only material available for view. Sometimes a cowboy just needs some time to sitdown at his ranch on his front porch and stare at the sunset; rubbing his stubble and brooding at the sunset as he watches his cattle move around. That’s all I’m asking for.