1976 Exhibit Brochure
In February, 1841, Osborne Russell, an American trapper out of Fort Hall, lost a mountain sheep which he had shot in the cliffs east of Ogden to a wolverine.
2023 Exhibit Guide
This painting depicts trapper Osborne Russell, approaching a wolverine that devoured and hidden a bighorn sheep he had shot the evening before. Russell wintered with a group of mountaineers, their families, and several Shoshone lodges. They likely camped somewhere along the Weber River between Weber Canyon and Kaysville.
In his journal, Russell described seeing a wolverine sitting at the foot of the tree where he hung the sheep. Russell wrote: “The wolverine left nothing behind worth stopping for… all I could find of the sheep were a few tufts of hair scattered about on the snow.1”
Artist
Farrell R. Collett (1907-2007)
Farrell Collett was born in Bennington, Idaho, but spent most of his life in Utah. He received early art training from Brigham Young University and the University of Utah, but pursued additional studies at the California School of Fine Arts, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the American Academy of Art, while simultaneously working as a freelance illustrator.
He was a professor as well as the Chairman of the Weber State art department for many years, and his work has been included in numerous national and international exhibitions and collections. Collett has received many awards and prestigious recognition for his work, and is featured in many private and corporate collections in the U.S. and internationally.
Sources
- “Bicentennial Historical Art Collection.” 1976 Exhibition Brochure, Special Collections, Weber State University.
- Eyes Toward the Past. DVD.
- Karras, Marilyn. “Much Learned in Trapper’s Journal”. The Ogden Standard Examiner, 15 Feb. 1976, Sun., page 23.
Citations
- Russell, Osborne and Lem A. York. Journal of a Trapper or Nine Years in the Rocky Mountains, 1834-1843. Syms-York Company, Inc.: Boise, Idaho; 1914 and 1921. Internet Archive.
Notes
Copyright owned by Weber State University Storytelling Festival. All rights reserved. Painting shown by Kaysville – Fruit Heights Museum with permission. Painting number 23 in the 2023 exhibit guide.
