Rennard Strickland’s Book

The Dr. Rennard Strickland Collection of Western Film History

A small selection of posters from the more than 7,000 movie posters in The Dr. Rennard Strickland Collection of Western Film History is displayed in the Virginia G. Piper Theater. This exhibition is ongoing and continuously rotating throughout the year.

The late Dr. Rennard Strickland spent more than 50 years amassing a fantastic collection of posters, lobby cards, and associated ephemera. Dr. Strickland was of Osage and Cherokee heritage.

From the American West, Australia, Arabia to outer space, this selection of posters investigates the narratives and storytelling in these Western films as told by real and fictional people. In addition, these movies examine Indigenous and non-Native perspectives about racial inequalities, commodification, ethnocentrism, and the structure of social relationships.