Fort Caspar Launches 2016 Free Summer Lecture Series Today

Fort Caspar Museum presents its annual FREE summer lecture series for 2016. The lectures will be held on seven consecutive Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm, from today, June 8th to July 20th. Each presentation will focus on a different "Impression on Wyoming," from past to present and from east to west. These free programs are funded in part by the Fort Caspar Museum Association and the Wyoming Humanities Council.

Each lecture will take place in the Multi-Use Room at Fort Caspar Museum. The programs are adult focused and will last approximately 60 minutes, including the lecture and a discussion opportunity. Most of the talks will feature a PowerPoint presentation, and if the speaker has published on a relevant topic, the lecture will conclude with a book signing.

The first lecture on June 8th will be "Lonely Hearts and Lofty Ladies: A Short History of Aircraft Nose Art" with Matthew Burchette, curator at Denver's Wings Over the Rockies Museum. The term "nose art" refers to the unofficial, personal decoration of military aircraft with names, slogans, or images. It saw its greatest use during the Second World War with the United States Army Air Force (USAAF). Fighting all over the globe, the men of the USAAF created nose art that was unique to the period. Using images from popular magazines such as Esquire, Look, and Men Only, soldiers created works of art that were distinctive, creative, and inspirational. Other forms of popular culture also provided fodder for GI artists: Disney and Warner Brothers drawings, newspaper comic strip characters, and song titles all appeared as nose art subjects. Using contemporary photographs of nose art from the main theaters of the war, as well as descriptive and informative narration, this program will enlighten attendees about how popular culture was a driving factor in the selection of a nose art subject.

Here are the dates, speakers, and their topics for the other six free summer lectures: June 15th, Jessica Robinson will discuss "Women and Horror: Wyoming Movies and Beyond;" June 22nd, Miss "V" will present "Amelia Earhart: Angel of Flight;" June 29th, Ray Maple will delve into the complex biography "Tom O'Day;" July 6th, Tom Rea will talk about "Wyoming Bone Wars;" July 13th, Phil Roberts will explore "Wyoming Prohibition;" and finally, July 20th, John Farr will present "Wyoming: Sheepherders State."

For more information, contact the Museum at 307-235-8462 or check the Fort Caspar Museum website, www.fortcasparwyoming.com. Fort Caspar Museum is located at 4001 Fort Caspar Road.