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Exhibition Reviews
"Legends of Deadwood." Adams Museum, 54 Sherman St., Deadwood, SD 57732.
Permanent exhibition, opened May 2002. M–Sa 9–5 May–Sept.; Tu–Sa 9–4 Oct.–April. Adults $3, children $2 (suggested). 9,000 sq. ft. Darrel Nelson, curator.
Internet: brief description and map of exhibition, hours, directions, events, and online store, http://adamsmuseumandhouse.org/museum/map.html.
Deadwood. Prod. by David Milch and Gregg Fienberg. HBO Inc., 2004–2006. 36 hours. (HBO Shop, 1100 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036; 866–316–4814; http://store.hbo.com/home/index.jsp.)
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The Black Hills town of Deadwood, South Dakota, has capitalized on its history for many years. At its founding in 1876, promoters hyped Deadwood as the center of the "last and richest gold field on the globe," and ever since, its history has been inseparable from the process of drawing curious visitors ("The Coming Stampede: A Rush for the New El Dorado," New York Times, Feb. 4, 1877). In recent years, though, the stakes have been raised. In 1988 Deadwood reaped the rewards of South Dakota's decision to legalize gaming in select sites, and it has become a year-round tourist destination rivaling Mount Rushmore and other area attractions. Deadwood's gaming establishments have used history to establish a freewheeling mood for visitors, linking the town's "Wild West" heritage to a present-day "anything goes" spirit. In 2004 hbo presented a very different interpretation of the town's past, airing the edgy, critically acclaimed drama Deadwood, which for three seasons has explored the dark and complicated power dynamics of territorial expansion and gold mining. What are the multiple roles that history plays in Deadwood, and what do the competing versions of Deadwood tell us about popular understanding of the American West?
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| In 1988, after years of lobbying the South Dakota state legislature to legalize gaming, Deadwood finally saw its wish come true. In the first twelve months of business, the casinos and slots coaxed $281.5 million out of customers. Property values in Deadwood soared as developers swallowed up real estate. With gaming revenues, Deadwood's Historic Preservation Commission undertook an ambitious effort to preserve the town's nineteenth-century buildings, streets, and other physical features (Katherine Jensen and Audie Blevins, The Last Gamble: Betting on the Future in Four Rocky Mountain Mining Towns, 1998, pp. 74–75, 105–23). Amid Deadwood's myriad gaming establishments, the Adams Museum, which has benefited handsomely from gaming money, offers a respite from the flashing lights and clinking of coins. On a Sunday in August, during the height of Deadwood's tourist season, the museum was crowded with summer vacationers. Children scurried about and parents seemed to welcome the "family friendly" environment. |
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W. E. Adams, a Deadwood businessman and former mayor, paid for the construction of the museum and donated it to the city in 1930. Adams initially used the museum to house his personal collection of "exotic" and "esoteric" items. The museum allowed him to demonstrate his sophisticated nature and philanthropy to the local public. It still contains some of these items in a section of the first-floor gallery titled "Cabinet of Curiosities." They include a two-headed stuffed calf, an armchair made out of steer horns, and a knot collection. Although the Adams Museum has always focused on local history, it was not until the late 1990s when the state legalized gaming and the museum gained access to gaming revenues that it was able to professionalize its staff andinterpretation. |
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