BetterMost, Wyoming & Brokeback Mountain Forum

The World Beyond BetterMost => Anything Goes => Topic started by: Katie77 on August 04, 2006, 11:51:22 pm

Title: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: Katie77 on August 04, 2006, 11:51:22 pm
Couldnt find a thread to put this in, but I just wanted to show if off....

My friend Judy, from Texas who I met on the Yahoo Board, recently went with a group to Wyoming, and traced the steps of our boys...From what she has told me it was one of the most moving experiences she has ever had.

She sent me this postcard from Riverton....
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: Aussie Chris on August 05, 2006, 12:08:19 am
Quote from: Katie77 on August 04, 2006, 11:51:22 pm
My friend Judy, from Texas who I met on the Yahoo Board, recently went with a group to Wyoming, and traced the steps of our boys...From what she has told me it was one of the most moving experiences she has ever had.

Brilliant Katie, I jealous as all hell, of both of you!!!  One of these days I'm going to do that trip!
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: Sheriff Roland on August 05, 2006, 04:21:10 am
And only missed the full moon (anniversary of the reunion) by 2 days. I hadn't scrolled all the way down, at first, and hadn't seen the message - You bet!
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: David on August 05, 2006, 11:51:44 am
Awsome!

   Makes ya wonder if the folks at the Riverton Post Office have any idea why all the postcards?

 :)
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: Katie77 on August 05, 2006, 11:42:24 pm
Regarding the Riverton post office....from what Judy told me, when she took the postcards in to the post office, she told the lady there, about the group she was with and their pilgramage in honour of BBM...and the lady was very nice and she made sure she took her time stamping the cards with the postmark so they would be nice and clear.....
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: delalluvia on August 05, 2006, 11:48:52 pm
How wonderful!  What a great idea!!
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: MaineWriter on August 15, 2006, 08:28:16 am
Allow me to share mine, too....  (click to enlarge..)

(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/th_postcard.jpg) (http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/postcard.jpg)
(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/th_postcard1.jpg) (http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/postcard1.jpg)
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: Shakesthecoffecan on August 15, 2006, 03:15:33 pm
And Judy and company also saw this in the Riverton, Wyoming, post  office:
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: alec716 on August 15, 2006, 03:53:56 pm
Were the hat colors added to the mural after BBM was filmed?  ;)

Thanks for showing us these cards and the mural.... great stuff!  -- Alec
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: Mary Twist on August 15, 2006, 05:55:01 pm
Oh, my, why would Ennis send a postcard to a girl?

Mrs. Mary Twist
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: Katie77 on August 15, 2006, 07:36:01 pm
Just us special gals......
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: Shakesthecoffecan on August 19, 2006, 05:53:34 pm
Quote from: alec716 on August 15, 2006, 03:53:56 pm
Were the hat colors added to the mural after BBM was filmed?  ;)

Thanks for showing us these cards and the mural.... great stuff!  -- Alec


As far as I know they have been just like that since circa 1942.
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: mvansand76 on August 20, 2006, 03:07:23 pm
Quote from: shakestheground on August 19, 2006, 05:53:34 pm

As far as I know they have been just like that since circa 1942.

This is scary! 1942????  :o

I looooooove the postcards!!!
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: Katie77 on August 20, 2006, 06:21:32 pm
Maybe the mural inspired the characters.........
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: Wayne on August 20, 2006, 09:57:31 pm
 :)   I think Annie Proulx has been to these places and found inspiration there.

And I think the costume crew for the movie saw this mural and acted on it.




You seen the house at Lightnin Flat?   Gooooood, ness.         :)
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: Marge_Innavera on August 21, 2006, 03:28:03 pm
Did you get up to Lightning Flat? What does the countryside look like there? I noticed on a map it isn't far from Devil's Tower.
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: Shakesthecoffecan on August 21, 2006, 08:41:42 pm
Hey Friend, go take a look in my blog and read about Cawboy Wayne and Me's trip to Lightnin" Flat in my blog over on OUr Daily Thoughts, about pg. 4. There is a picture of the house there. Have more, Wayne is a wonderful dancer! :D
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: twistedude on August 22, 2006, 10:42:43 pm
That mural is fantastic!.  Is is obviously an inspiration for the movie. It's so hard to belueve that it'as been there since '42...gosh. Gee...
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: Shakesthecoffecan on August 23, 2006, 10:32:29 am
I have done a bit of research on the artist, George Vander Sluis, who died about 1984, he taught at Syracuse University and had an interesting life it looks like, apparently unmarried, he painted a lot of barns in New England. The mural was part of a WPA project that began in the depression. What is so errie for me is this would have been created about the time the characters were born, and those hats.....
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: MaineWriter on August 25, 2006, 12:36:03 pm
Quote from: Mary Twist on August 15, 2006, 05:55:01 pm
Oh, my, why would Ennis send a postcard to a girl?

Mrs. Mary Twist

Cause we're good friends....

L
Title: Re: Postcard from Riverton
Post by: MaineWriter on August 26, 2006, 08:52:05 am
The post office murals have a very interesting history. The project was conceived as a way to give starving artists some work during the depression.  Many of them were painted by "unknowns" who went on to achieve greater fame. Here in my town of Westbrook, ME, we had a mural which is now in the Portland Museum of Art. It was moved there went a new post office was built in the 1970s. Unfortunately, not all murals have survived. For more, this link has some details and pictures...

http://www.wpamurals.com/

I notice that the Riverton mural is not linked on this site. Maybe someone would want to get in touch with the Webmaster and give him a copy of this photo?

Leslie