The Case:
A veteran collector of cowboy gear, our contributor thinks he may have a saddle that once belonged to rodeo champion and Hollywood legend, Yakima Canutt.
The saddle has the name "Canutt" tooled into the leather, with the word "Yak" inserted into the middle of "Canutt." Yakima Canutt dominated the rodeo circuit and when early Western actor Tom Mix met Canutt, he helped launch Canutt’s Hollywood career. Canutt first starred as an actor in silent movies, then doubled as a stuntman for some of Hollywood’s biggest names – Errol Flynn, Clark Gable and John Wayne.
But our collector wants History Detectives to answer a nagging question: Did this saddle actually belong to Yakima Canutt?
More Information
Autry Center at Griffith Park
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462
Tel: 323-667-2000
http://theautry.org/
Pendleton Round Up Hall of Fame
1114 Southwest Court Avenue
Pendleton, OR 97801-1915
(541) 278-0815
http://pendletonroundup.com/
Related Content
Video:
Video:
Explore
-
Also in this episode
Modoc Basket
What tales does this basket weave of the heroism of an American-Indian woman?
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
Ventriloquist Dummy
How did an African-American ventriloquist act become so successful in a time of racial unrest?
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
Mexican Currency
What role did this money play in the Mexican Revolution?
-
Also with Wes Cowan
Mankato Spoon
What does this delicate silver spoon have to do with the largest mass execution in American history?
-
Also with Wes Cowan
World War II Leaflets
How did this scrap of paper help change the course of World War II?
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
St Valentine's Day Massacre
Was this weapon fired in one of the nation's most infamous crimes?
Comments
This is a place for opinions, comments, questions and discussion; a place where viewers of History Detectives can express their points of view and connect with others who value history. We ask that posters be polite and respectful of all opinions. History Detectives reserves the right to delete comments that don’t conform to this conduct. We will not respond to every post, but will do our best to answer specific questions, or address an error.