Imagined Wests

The Autry Museum of the American West’s exhibition Imagined Wests travels through Western storytelling landscapes, through retellings of history, and through the craft of many “West makers” from tailors to actors. The long-term exhibition uses pop culture, clothing, toys, art, collections, multimedia, and hands-on activities to tell stories of the American West that help answer the question “What is a Western?” Imagined Wests applies a place-based lens to the story of the American West, while also touching on Southern California’s role in shaping popular conceptions of Western life and culture.  

Read an essay about the exhibition in NEH’s Humanities magazine.