Spur 1935 - 1942

This is Ann Gene Buckley's watercolor and graphite rendering of a spur. While the exact date is unknown, we know Buckley was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Buckley's detailed illustration offers a glimpse into the material culture of the American West. Spurs were not merely functional tools, they also held social meaning. The intricate designs and embellishments, carefully depicted here, signified status and skill within the cowboy culture. Buckley was an artist working for the US government. During this time, the government was eager to catalogue native arts and crafts. Buckley, along with many other women artists, found employment in the museum documenting a rapidly changing world. To fully understand this image, we can delve into archives of Western material culture, study the history of government-sponsored art programs, and consult historical accounts of cowboy life. This piece encourages us to consider the social conditions that shaped artistic production and the ways in which art reflects and reinforces cultural values.