Press Conference Announced
to be held
Friday, June 1, 10 a.m.
Wright Conference Room
Reg Lenna Civic Center
116 E. 3rd St.
Jamestown, NY 14701
Historic 1878 Buffalo Bill Cody Billboard to be Unveiled
Exclusive Press Only Partial Sneak Preview
At this press conference we will provide a partial preview of the fully conserved historic 1878 Buffalo Bill Cody billboard which advertised the 1878 show that played on the site of what is today the Reg Lenna Civic Center. The billboard was salvaged in June, 2002, from an outside wall on Third and Pine Streets in downtown Jamestown. The hundreds of fragile pieces are preserved in archival storage. The discovery has received international attention and coverage. The entire billboard measured approximately 10 ft. high and 24 ft. long. It is believed to be the oldest billboard in the country.
The following evening, on Saturday, June 2, at 7:30., there will be an unveiling for the first time to the public of the entire billboard, to be seen all together for the first time in 129 years. After that, by mid-June, the entire billboard will be permanently installed in the inner lobby of the Civic Center for the public to see. The unveilings, for press on Friday morning and public on Saturday evening, will be the only opportunity to get very close to the work to see the fine graphic detail that makes this a great work of art as well as a significant piece of Americana.
Special guest, Dr. Juti Winchester, curator of the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyoming, will be present to tell us more about the significance of the work and to answer questions about it. Arts Council staff and others who have assisted in the project will also be present to describe the work that has been going on for five years, leading to this major accomplishment of restoring a historic artifact from hundreds of pieces of fragile torn paper.
Press packets will be available at that time
Please join us that morning for this remarkable opportunity and for coffee!
For further information contact:
Patricia Anzideo, volunteer Buffalo Bill Project Manager on behalf of the Reg Lenna Civic Center
716-484-0551 flaxman@netsync.net
or David Schein, Executive Director
Arts Council for Chautauqua County
716-664-2465 ext. 6 david@artscouncil.com
For technical information: Sean Jones
Arts Council for Chautauqua County
716-664-2465 ext. 224 sjones@artscouncil.com
pa / 5/23/07
