American Heritage Center
Centennial Complex
2111 Willet Drive
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-4114
Email: ahcref@uwyo.edu
The American Heritage Center (AHC) at the University of Wyoming is preparing its highly anticipated “Stan Lee, Beyond the Book” exhibition, honoring the legendary author, editor and Marvel Comics visionary.
This immersive exhibition, set to open May 1, will provide visitors with an intimate glimpse into the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of Stan Lee. The exhibition will offer attendees a firsthand look at the remarkable impact of Lee on popular culture, from comic books to film and TV. The exhibition, housed at the AHC on UW’s campus in Laramie, will run through Nov. 1.
“Stan Lee, Beyond the Book” will reveal Lee the person, from his childhood to his later years. The exhibition will include documents, photographs and artifacts that have not been preserved elsewhere. Displays will explore Lee’s impact on the comic book industry; relations with his fans; the creative processes he and his teams followed; development of comic book characters; his involvement in social and political issues; personal memorabilia; and other aspects of his life, vision and career.
“Stan Lee’s legacy is not only in the stories he told, but in the imagination and inspiration he ignited in countless individuals,” says Professor Paul Flesher, the AHC’s director. “We are honored to share his remarkable journey and achievements through this extraordinary exhibition.”
Although Lee’s story cannot be told without the characters he created, this is neither a comic book exhibition nor a Marvel film exhibition.
“The Stan Lee Papers are a prized collection at the AHC,” Flesher says. “For decades, Stan regularly sent materials to the center for preservation, providing an ongoing record of his development as an individual, a writer and artist, an entertainer and a businessman. This exhibition provides for his fans a deep dive into Stan and his achievements.”
From his humble beginnings in New York City to his pioneering work in the comic book industry and film world, the exhibition will chronicle Lee’s journey, highlighting his creativity, innovation and lasting influence.
Born Stanley Martin Lieber Dec. 28, 1922, Lee rose from poverty to become one of the most iconic figures in popular culture history. His contributions to Marvel Comics -- including co-creating beloved characters such as the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Iron Man and the X-Men -- have left an indelible mark on generations of fans worldwide.
Lee began a relationship with the AHC in 1977, more than 45 years ago. The relationship was personal and, for the next 30 years, he corresponded regularly with AHC directors and visited campus twice. He sent to the AHC documents, photographs, videos and audio recordings nearly every year. Even though he never earned a college degree, he called UW “my university” because of this connection. His donations now constitute a unique collection, with 126 cubic feet of materials.
The “Stan Lee, Beyond the Book” exhibition invites visitors to explore the life, work and enduring legacy of a true visionary. For more information about the exhibition and related events, visit the AHC website at www.uwyo.edu/AHC, call Flesher at (307) 766-2474, or email pflesher@uwyo.edu.
The finding aid for the Stan Lee collection is at https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv636387?q=stan%20lee.
About the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center
UW’s AHC is home to thousands of collections spanning diverse topics in American history and culture. With a mission to preserve and promote access to our shared heritage, the center serves as a vital resource for researchers, educators and the public alike.
The AHC is one of the nation’s 10 largest nongovernmental archives. It holds over 95,000 cubic feet of materials in more than 4,000 collections. As the AHC is a public institution, these materials are available for anyone to consult by visiting the reading room in person or via remote means. More than 99 percent of the holdings are available without restriction.
Founded in 1945, the AHC has expanded significantly over the decades and now has 10 key collecting areas. While its primary focus is on the American West, other significant collecting areas include popular culture, transportation (from the transcontinental railroad onward), journalism, ranching, authors, conservation and mineral extraction. The popular culture collections range from early radio to TV to Hollywood. Although the center’s Hollywood and TV collections focus on behind-the-camera positions (directors, producers, composers, etc.), the center holds materials from a number of stars, including Jack Benny, Barbara Stanwyck and Buddy Ebsen.
Details on “Stan Lee, Beyond the Book,” a Celebration of the Marvel Comics Trailblazer
The University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center announces the opening of the “Stan Lee, Beyond the Book” exhibition, showcasing the life and legacy of the iconic author, editor and Marvel Comics visionary. The exhibition, set to open May 1, will run through Nov. 1, offering visitors an intimate glimpse into the world of Stan Lee.
| Please note: The Alfred Jacob Miller paintings are presently on loan to the exhibit, “Alfred Jacob Miller: Revisiting the Rendezvous—in Scotland and Today.” The exhibit will be at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West (Cody, WY)in 2023 and at the Eiteljorg Museum (Indianapolis) in 2024. Please expect them to return home to the American Heritage Center in Spring 2025. |
The Alfred Jacob Miller paintings from the Everett D. Graff family and Robert C. Graff art collections appear on permanent display in the American Heritage Center’s new Gallery One. A young American artist, Miller was commissioned by a Scottish noble, William Drummond Stewart, to document his expedition from the Missouri frontier to the 1837 Green River Rendezvous near modern Pinedale Wyoming. During the six-month journey with Stewart and the American Fur Company, Miller made more than 200 watercolor sketches. He used these sketches as the basis for large oil paintings he painted to hang in Stewart’s Murthly Castle in Scotland. Miller was the first European American artist to capture the interior of the Rocky Mountains. Some of the Murthly Castle paintings are now at the American Heritage Center.
The American Heritage Center’s George A. Rentschler Room is home to significant western paintings, including thirteen by Henry Farny and one by Frederic Remington. These paintings appear as they did in the library of Mr. Rentschler, a New York City businessman and western enthusiast.
Henry Farny (1847-1916)
After studying in Rome, Dusseldorf and Munich as a young man, Farny settled in Cincinnati. In 1881, he began traveling into the American West, including Wyoming. During his travels, Farny sketched, took photographs and collected Indian artifacts and photographs. Returning to his Cincinnati studio, Farny worked from his own illustrations and memory, relied on his collection of artifacts, and occasionally employed live models to create his unique style of Western art.
Despite this method of production, Farny’s Indian paintings are considered some of the most accurate of the genre. His paintings of Native Americans were highly sought after during Farny’s lifetime, although his work disappeared into near obscurity after his death. Collectors rediscovered Farny in the 1960s because of increasing interest in the “true West.”
Frederic Remington (1861-1909)
Frederic Remington studied art at Yale University and took his first trip into the American West in 1881, the same year as Farny. Although a failed businessman, he became famous as an illustrator of the West. His first full-page cover artwork appeared in Harper’s Weekly in 1886 when he was just 25.
In the 1890s, he became a favorite of the American cavalry in the West, especially the troops led by General Nelson Miles. His numerous paintings of soldiers at this this time often used a monochromatic palate, which gave a sense of realistic, almost photographic, quality. The Rentschler Remington painting belongs to this period.
The American Heritage Center is pleased to work with the UW Foundation to curate photograph and image exhibits for the Gateway Center. Three exhibits are now on display.
As the archives of the University of Wyoming, the American Heritage Center (AHC), holds numerous collections from UW departments, professors, presidents, students, and alumni. Many of these folks have had considerable artistic talent they’ve often used to promote and shine a light on all the culture, classes, and opportunities UW has to offer.
This exhibit features items from the University of Wyoming’s University Relations & Media Services records (collection # 512001) held at the AHC. The collection contains publications of various kinds dating from 1868 to 2000. In this exhibit, you’ll see covers of student journals, class schedules, distance education, magazines, and other publications where people in the UW community put their brushes, pencils, carving tools, and cameras to work for these fantastic covers.
Enjoy this step back in time at UW!
American Heritage Center
Centennial Complex
2111 Willet Drive
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-4114
Email: ahcref@uwyo.edu