An illustrated lecture entitled “A History of the American Bison: from Pre-History to 1890” will be presented by Lee Silliman in the Journey Museum’s Adelstein Gallery on Friday, August 15th at 6pm.  The public is cordially invited to this event at no charge. 

The talk will first discuss the distant origins of the species in Asia, their subsequent migration to North America, and their expansion across the continent despite many natural enemies.  For ten thousand years Native Americans of the High Plains depended upon bison for their sustenance.  The subject of how they hunted buffalo in the pre-horse days, and how their hunting methods were adapted after the arrival of the horse in the eighteenth century, will be explored.  The talk will conclude with a discussion of the tragic slaughter of the bison by Euro-American hide hunters who nearly extirpated the species in the 1870s and 1880s.  The lecture will be lavishly illustrated with artworks spanning two centuries, utilizing many images drawn from Silliman’s extensive Western Americana print collection.  A selection of books on the American bison will be on display, and a bibliography of recommended reading will be available for distribution at the conclusion of the presentation.

 Lee Silliman is a retired educator and museum employee living in Missoula, Montana.  Since early childhood he has nurtured a strong interest in the art and history of the frontier American West.  His interests have spawned many articles and the editing of five books.  He has presented conference lectures, taught workshops, and led four educational group tours.  Since 1988 Silliman has assembled and circulated numerous fine art exhibits which have been displayed in more than one hundred venues throughout Montana and ten other states.