Gilcrease Gets the Goods
Certainly the most impressive museum of Western and Indian art is Tulsa’s Gilcrease Museum. Now, it’s bought 13,000 items from a private collection passed down from the estate of Charlie Russell’s biographer, or so the Trib reports.
Funny story about the Gilcrease. I knew vaguely what it was when I visited Tulsa last year to do a series of interviews of Christian groups planning mission trips to Africa. But I had no idea the amount of northern plains & Rockies stuff it had in it. What did I find? Among a room full of Russells, Morans, and Wilsons, there was a miniature painting by O.C. Seltzer: “The Faro Layout at the Mint Saloon, Great Falls, Mont.”
I had never, ever seen a painting depicting our town’s turn-of-the-century bar scene. And I doubt many other Great Falls types have either. Too bad that so much of this stuff ends up in higher-stakes collectors’ hands in Oklahoma or Texas or Nevada — really, these places are the “Western art capitals,” no matter the subject matter or where Russells and Seltzers were painted.
Anyways, if you’re looking for a somewhat zany vacation, go to Oklahoma. It’s surprisingly beautiful, kind, and the Gilcrease alone makes the trip worthwhile.
I’ve been trying to find on the internet the painting of Seltzer’s you describe. Hopefully someone can put a link up. I was wondering what the place looked like and perhaps learn why my grandfather spent so much time and money in that establishment. He apparently knew Mr. Russell, and most likely Mr. Seltzer. Unfortunately his comments about Kid Russell are not repeatable in mixed company…….so I won’t. I find the works of both men fascinating and use their works as backgound on my desktop. I also concur with your evaluation of Oklahoma. Having lived and worked there, I came to love many things about the state……..tornadoes not included.
olredtrk, look here: http://www.bcvc.net/faro/olafseltzer1.jpg
Part of the problem is that it is Faro, not pharaoh. The title should be “The Faro Layout in the Mint Saloon.”
Were you with Phillips in Oklahoma?
aha — that will be changed, though I am not actually sure this is the same painting — I seem to recall the other one had a different perspective (looking straight-on at the dealer, players to the side). Nonetheless, you get the idea… It was pretty cool to run across a depiction of old-time Great Falls in Tulsa. And, yes, that was while I was with Phillips.
Travis, I was unclear. My fault. I was asking olredtrk, whether he was with Phillips Petroleum in Oklahoma. I am aware you were with the Phillips Foundation.
Words can be as confusing as paintings with in artful brush strokes.
This just goes to show there are too many things named Phillips.
Parts of this discussion remind me of TR’s immortal words he spoke out West cattle punchin’: “Quickly there. Hasten forward.”
A great deal of Custer artifacts that were in private hands left the State 30 years ago when they were sold to the highest bidder. In a colonial State like Montana there just isnt the money to keep our artifacts here.
Too bad the city didn’t put together a deal with private parties back when ever it was 40’s or 50’s when the mint collection was sold out of state. It went pretty cheap. Not all public private partner ships are bad.
No, I didn’t work for Phillips, but family members did. I applied for a job at Bartlesville, but some other more deserving person got the job. My time there was spent in the military, and I enjoyed all of it.
BTW, the fellow sitting accross from the dealer sure looks like gramps. I wonder……..