Browse Exhibits (10 total)

Movie Poster Images for the 1932 Zane Grey movie South Seas Adventure

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Movie Poster Images for the 1932 Zane Grey movie South Seas Adventure, including Lobby Cards and one sheet posters.  Zane Grey starred in this movie himself.  Author Zane Grey leads a big-game fishing expedition from his home on Santa Catalina Island, off the California coast, to the South Seas.

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Movie Posters for the 1933 Zane Grey Movie The Mysterious Rider

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A collection of images of the movie posters for the 1933 Zane Grey movie The Mysterious Rider.

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Zane Grey on "The Rock" (Newfoundland)

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In 1936, Zane Grey wrote a brief article for use in a sporting goods company's brocure.  The article is entitled "The Madness of the Game" and addresses a wide range of issues relating to fly fishing.  The following quote from that article is eye-opening to anyone who has researched the author's history:

"In Newfoundland I fished the South Shore rivers–they call those grand rivers "brooks"–using the wet fly, and in Burnt Island Brook, Grandy's Brook, the Gray [Grey] River and the Bay du Nord River, I had wonderful salmon fishing. I also fished the Grand Codroy on the west coast of Newfoundland, failing in this beautiful river with the dry fly. I also had a crack at the Miramichi, and some rivers of the Gaspe Peninsula, but I do not want to brag about that experience."

Why is this quote eye opening?  The most ardent Zane Grey fan knows almost nothing about the rivers of Newfoundland and Grey's experience there.  Places like the Miramichi River [New Brunswick] and the Gaspe Peninsula [Twenty-two salmon rivers in Eastern Quebec] will be a total revelation.  Their carefully assembled calendars of where Grey was every day of his adult life will be shattered.  How did he have time to fish waters we didn't know existed? But he did.

This presentation is limited to two months Zane Grey spent fishing for Atlantic Salmon in Newfoundland.  It also suggests that those well versed in Grey, rethink their assumptions.  

I hope you will enjoy Zane Grey on the Rock knowing that the much of the information you view has been buried in archives and collections for more than a half century. 

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The Vanishing American: More Than Just a Western Novel

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This exhibit tells the back story of The Vanishing American, Zane Grey's tribute to the Navajo, Hopi and Paiute people... and to all indigenous people. It is a story of love, tragedy and one man's spiritual journey.

For those not familiar with the author's works, Dr. Joe Wheeler, the co-founder of Zane Grey's West Society, explains:

"Zane Grey, the Western writer, shaped the way the world will forever perceive the 'Old West.' Zane Grey's name on theater marquees was a bigger draw than the top Hollywood stars of his day.  In 57 novels, 10 books of Western nonfiction, and 130 movies, Grey, who died in 1939 at age 67, almost single-handedly created the 'Myth of the West.' His respectful treatment of Indians was ahead of its time; his word paintings of some of the worlds most spectacular country may never be equaled."

(Points West Chronicle: Spring-Summer 1996)

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Tom Mix and Zane Grey's Silent Westerns

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The great cowboy and silent movie star, Tom Mix, starred in six films based on the works of Zane Grey.  The movie posters and images from these films offer a colorful insight into how the Old West was portrayed during the early days of movie making. 

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Learning More About Zane Grey

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Many guests may remember the old "card catalogs" that were once available in public and school libraries.  Archives present similar information in documents called "Finding Aids."  This presentation presents a wealth of finding aids about a specific topic- Zane Grey. Other resources presented in other formats are provided as well. 

For anyone interested in learning more about the Western romance author, Zane Grey, there is no lack of information.  For a quick reminder of his life and works,  the National Park Service,  Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River provides a well done summary you can view by clicking here. Many researchers look for more in-depth information.

Several books have been written about this complex man and his works.  A bibliography listing several of the best such works is listed for your enjoyment  under the heading "Biographies and Analysis."

In addition, the "Zane Grey's West Society Archives" provide links to considerable information about the great author. 

In 2018, Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, National Park Service, working with the Society, published a brochure entitled "Researcher's Guide Zane Grey Archives". This important publication directs researchers to many other Zane Grey collections without delving into each collection to a great degree.

The "Public and Private Collections" heading, supplements the NPS brochure by accessing the actual Finding Aids for those collections and more. These finding aids come in a wide variety of styles ranging from typewritten pages to web-based presentations and, in some cases, even to actual digital images.  Researchers will want to contact the owners of the collections to learn how to access and use their information. 

"Web Stories" allow the researcher to directly access several outstanding online "stories" about Grey. "Zane Grey's West Society Newsletters" provides access to newsletters published for more than 50 years by the best researchers in the world regarding the author. "Presentations" leads you to Zane Grey presentations made available by their respective authors. 

Zane Grey's West Society is the non-profit organization responsible for developing this presentation.  New members are welcome and can join by clicking here. 

Zane Grey and Arizona's Tribes

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Many of Zane Grey's novels were written about people and places in Arizona.  Several of the stories featured Native American people, often living on reservations located in the state. This exhibit shares the connection between these Native people and seven of Grey's great Western works. 

Zane Grey's West Society acknowledge several sources for the images shown in this exhibit.  Of special note is the work of Edward S. Curtis at the turn of the 20th century.  Additional information on Curtis is available here. 

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Fly Fishing with Zane Grey

Zane Grey was one of the world's greatest fishermen during his lifetime.  He fished in waters around the world for record-setting fish... and just for fun.  This exhibit spotlights examples of his fly fishing adventures. 

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Postcards from Dolly and Zane Grey's Honeymoon

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Zane Grey and Lina Elise (Dolly) Roth were married in 1905 after dating for five, somewhat tulmultuous and sometimes steamy, years.  She was much younger and studying to become a school teacher.  Dolly recognized Zane's writing potential and became his mentor.  Even before their marriage, she met with publishers to promote Grey's early works. 

"Postcards from Zane and Dolly Grey's Honeymoon" provides a snapshot of the places the couple visited on their honeymoon, likely financed from Dolly's small inheritance.  Zane sent these seventeen postcards to his brother, R.C. Grey. Many include his own handwritten comments.

These images are provided courtesy of Brigham Young University's L. Tom Perry Collections. 

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Riders of the Purple Sage: Shaping America

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In 2012, the Library of Congress created an exhibit of "Books That Shaped America." Zane Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage was one of the 100 books originally selected for this exhibit.  Zane Grey's West Society offers this presentation as an in-depth look at the most significant magazine serials, print editions, movies and stage presentations of Grey's most famous work.

The following quote by the Library of Congress provides a fitting introduction to this presentation:

Riders of the Purple Sage, Zane Grey’s best-known novel, was originally published in 1912. The Western genre had just evolved from the popular dime novels of the late-nineteenth century and was finding an audience particularly interested in reading about Americans in their quest to conquer savagery with civilization. This classic tale is full of action, violence, sentimentalism, romance, and adventure. As in many Westerns, the description of the landscape plays a major role, being sometimes dangerous and menacing, and at others times providing safety for those who encounter it. This story of a gun-slinging avenger who saves a beautiful young woman from marrying against her will played a significant role in shaping the formula of the popular Western genre begun by Owen Wister in The Virginian (1904)."