The Great Frontier Odyssey; Sketching the American West

Come on in from the cold. Make yourself comfortable in Park City Museum’s Tozer Gallery and check out their traveling exhibit entitled ‘The Great Frontier Odyssey; Sketching the American West.’

In 1869, when the Transcontinental Railroad was completed at Promontory, Utah, it connected thirty-four eastern states with the 3 far western states of Nevada, California and Oregon. The public was extremely curious about the west and Harper’s Weekly, A Journal of Civilization (1857-1916) wanted to capitalize on that fascination. Two French-born American artists, Jules Tavernier (1884-89) and Paul Frenzeny (1840-1910) were selected by the Harper brothers to observe and illustrate the expanding frontier, the people and the lifestyle. With their combined artistic and journalistic skills and their trained eye for observation, Harpers hoped the artists would make a brilliant team and supply the magazine with images of the west. In July 1873, Tavernier and Frenzeny embarked on what would be a year-long adventure.

Historian Claudine Chalmer curated the exhibit of objects and mounted Frenzeny & Tavernier illustrations lining the walls of Tozer Gallery. In the midst of the gallery is a comfortable chair and a copy Chalmer’s book entitled Chronicling the West for Harper’s; Coast to Coast with Frenzeny & Tavernier in 1873-1874. In it you’ll find details of the journey along with captioned illustrations and engravings. Come in, get comfortable and enjoy the exhibit now through April 4. Chalmers will also present a virtual lecture on Thursday, March 25 5-6 pm. For more information and to rsvp follow this link:   https://parkcityhistory.org/event/a-great-frontier-odyssey-zoom-lecture-given-by-claudine-chalmers/