Being convinced that the rocky mountain rhino was rare, I was confident in the kitschiness of my first post when the sighting was made in Evergreen, Colorado. But to my utter amazement, this week I stumbled onto yet another one, this in downtown Sheridan, Wyoming. Of course I was sad to see that two of it’s 3 birds had been broken off at the feet.
(This was the rhino in Evergreen Colorado from an earlier post birds still intact.)
My findings make me believe that because in the Rockies they are so rare, one does have to assume they’re related by blood.
While I was in Sheridan, I decided to take a little photo tour of the downtown area, hoping to find some interesting sights. Many, it turned out, were within 1 block of the new rocky mountain rhino find.
I love this art deco building called “New York Store.” Stevens and Fryberger, the Dry Goods store, began in this building in 1908. The main floor is vacant now, but I’m told the upstairs is “cool lofts.” I just felt some irony in a building in Sheridan, Wyoming with this name, with cool lofts. To see them, click on this: http://activerain.com/blogsview/1097458/the-new-york-store-35-north-main-street-sheridan-wy
The purple marker on this map shows where Sheridan is. I was told the population is about 15,000.
And there was the “WYO Theater, which I thought very cool. It opened in 1923. I was too timid to ask anyone if it was just short for Wyoming, or if it meant something else. I loved the style, it’s been recently redone and is the venue for live theater in downtown Sheridan.
A front shot of the “WYO.” I love the economy of words they’ve decided on. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a marquis that said “SEE OTHER SIDE.” For information on the history, as well as a cool night neon shot, go to: http://www.wyotheater.com/history.html
Finally, and again, within one block of all the other attractions, sat a bar with one of the coolest neon signs I’ve ever seen.
Here’s a picture of the neon at night I found on one of the Sheridan web sites. And of course, this was the bar that Annie Proulx sat in when she received her inspiration for writing the short story that became the movie “Brokeback Mountain.”
Sheridan, Wyoming, September 2010.
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Allee Willis
How lucky can one artist get to be able to place two of his rhinos in the Rockies? here’s the other one: https://www.alleewillis.com/awmok/kitschenette/2010/08/28/rocky-mountain-rhino/
Love your tour. The reliefs at the top of the New York Store remind me of a great building on Highland in Los Angeles. I’m not sure of the name of it but it’s stark white like this one is, huge and on a corner and has big white bubble reliefs all over the entire building.
The lofts look great. My favorite thing is that birdseye view of that gorgeous deco movie theater across the street. I’m guessing Wyo is, in fact, short for the state name. Have you ever been inside? That would make for a great individual post. Maybe I should push for The Color Purple to play there so we can get in.
The Cowboy sign on the Mint Bar kills me. Love the Brokeback Mountain history.
Of course, I always love these little adventures you take.
(The AWMOK Jungle Animal Petting Zoo is a scenic attraction whose cages are currently being filled to coincide with the release of the upcoming Pomplamoose with Allee Willis “Jungle Animal” VideoSong and online music game and contest. Jungle tamer, AWMOK creator, curator and charming hostess, Allee Willis, me, will be steadily leading jungle animals to their cages over the next 1-2 months or so as you bring them here until the song is released. If ever there ever was a category that was primed to be kitschified it’s that of “Jungle Animal” as all the stripes, spots and fur have been inspiration for designers since the beginning of time. I thank you all in advance for placing your jungle pets in such an illustrious cage as The Allee Willis Museum of Kitsch. Keep them coming!)
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Mark Milligan
Thank you Allee!
Never been in the WYO. Never been to Sheridan before this trip.
I’ll go back to Sheridan in the next year or so, and we’ll see if we can arrange for a photo tour of the WYO.
k2dtw
Great post, love seeing the architecture in Sheridan. Thrilled to see they are saving The WYO. The neon is wonderful, and such great contrast w/the Art Deco WYO Theatre, and the Cowboy Bar.