New shows at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City is opening four new exhibitions in February looking at the American West’s history, artistry and culture.

Three of the shows open Feb. 5.

One explores the history and revival of Native American bolo ties. Another offers an interactive look at Western drought and weather patterns, including the way rugged Western conditions shape regional culture.

A third show, “The Cowboy Returns,” is a nationally traveling exhibition of photos by a father and son, Bank and John Langmore, about the daily, often gritty lives of cowboys over two generations. The first set of pictures was taken in the 1960s and `70s, and the second set was shot in the last three years featuring many of the same people and ranches documented 40 years ago.

Finally, on Feb. 19, the museum opens a show of work by Philip R. Goodwin, who created scenes of sporting and wildlife in the first few decades of the 20th century. His work included illustrating Jack London’s “Call of the Wild” and Theodore Roosevelt’s “African Game Trails” as well as posters, calendars and other advertisements.