Buffalo Bill exhibition is coming
DID you know that the famous American scout, hunter and showman ‘Buffalo Bill’ once performed in Loughborough?
Well a new exhibition at Loughborough Library explores the story behind why William Frederick Cody was in the town, and the show that he put on for thousands of members of the public that included re-enactments of the famous American war battles,
Local historian, Tony Jarram was on a family holiday in Denver last year when he came across the grave of the famous American, and he said that in the museum in Lookout Mountain Park it invites people to see if Buffalo Bill ever visited your town. And indeed he did. Tony said he was shocked when he saw Loughborough on the list of towns and cities that Cody visited on his tour of America and Europe from the 1880s to 1900s.
The exhibition has been put together by Tony and Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteers, and it will depict Bill Cody’s lifetime as a Pony Express rider, buffalo hunter and scout and tell of the Wild West shows that he produced and directed.
Bill Cody’s life and times gives an insight into the American West during the era of cowboys and indians when the buffalo herds roamed the plains.
In later life Buffalo Bill exhibited his experiences in the “Wild West” shows, visiting Loughborough in 1903.
Tony told the Echo that Buffalo Bill would have brought more than 100 American indians and three trains of horses, buffalo, bucking bronchos to be used in his show.
He said that one of the indians who came with Bill to Loughborough was the son of famous indian chief ‘Sitting Bull’ - renowned for his vision before the Battle of Little Bighorn.
Tony has also been given permission from the Buffalo Bill Grave and Museum in Denver to use photos from its collection for the exhibition, which include tour photos that would have been typical of the Loughborough event.
He said: “It has been absolutely fascinating looking through the history of Buffalo Bill, and it was literally something that I just stumbled across on holiday and I never expected to come across it.
“I have had help from a lot of people, and Sharon Gray has put together a family tree of Buffalo Bill for the exhibition.
“It is great to think that he performed in Loughborough, and anyone with an interest I would say it is definitely worth coming along to have a look.”
The exhibition is free and will be open from Friday, October 6 till Saturday, November 25 at Loughborough Library, Granby Street, Loughborough.