Driving up to Winterset, Iowa, we handed over my carving of “Rooster” to the new John Wayne Museum this past Tuesday. They were quite excited about receiving it and placed it in the “True Grit” display case right next to the eyepatch John Wayne wore when filming the movie. Funny…when I mentioned that Judy and I had seen one at the Autry museum in California I was told that Wayne insisted on a new patch each day of filming. Also in the case was the jacket he wore along with his pistol and a commemorative carbine. Harry Jackson’s bronze of Rooster was also setting close by. (Years ago Judy and I took a tour of Jackson’s studio in Cody, Wyoming.) Our Rooster fit right in and the weathered colors I used really matched the overall look. The Museum will be publishing a newsletter soon about the presentation and I will post it once received.
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When I was honored a few years back to have some of my larger scenes included in the permanent collection of the Woolaroc Museum here in Oklahoma I thought that it was the crowning moment of my carving career. While it certainly is a high mark I feel that this one measures right up there with it. Seeing that little bust of mine in among the other memorabilia of that great star and American makes me feel quite humble and truly honored. What a thrill.
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I have posted some other photos of our trip to Winterset, Iowa in the Gallery below. One of them shows the museum’s director, Brian Downes, along with Judy and our cousin Carl Heinrich, standing in front of the house where Wayne was born. It was a perfect day all round.
Very nice Lynn. The cool thing is any woodcarver who sees it will immediately recognize it as yours as your style easily ID’S it as yours.