"Paper Talk": Charlie Russell's American West

by Charles M. Russell, Brian W. Dippie (Editor)

A collection of Charles Russell's illustrated letters, poems, and Christmas greetings, along with full-color reproductions of selected paintings, reveals the ways of the Old West and of the painter who helped immortalize it

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Charles Marion Russell was an artist of the Old American West.

Reviews

[CHILTONM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this incredibly touching. Russell’s art is obviously wonderful—I was personally fond of the envelope art—but his letters also hit me in a way I didn’t expect.
In a letter responding to a friend who sent him a Cree syllabary, the letters turned at an angle to resemble cree letter:
The Great Father has maney children no two alike The big sage bird walks like the young brave but his flit is low an short his cousin the duck walks like a fat women of maney winters but is he lame on the water or in the clouds the buffalo has two hornes an 16 toes the white gote counts the same can the bull walk the snow ledges where stormes live
My fingers count the same as yores but the sun has made our medison diffornt
The picture man has spoken

Or to Frank linderman, who recalled that “nothing pleased Charlie Russell more than to be mistaken for an indian “:
I looked you over pritty thorough Frank and from the out side you dont show much Injun but by the way you will slide back on your fameley tree youd find Lindermans that wore skines and smelt of willow bark If theres aney thing in reincarnation when you wer here before your name was Lean Man or Long Man Its a sinch it wasent Linderman them days you wore a clout an smoked with the sun He was your God an you asked no better death seldom caught your kind in bed an when he came it onely ment a better country with more buffalo you were not selfish your religion said all things lived again you were a heathen but your prayers were longer an more frequent than your Christian brothers In this life your words were fiew buffalo that roamed your country in millions gave meat clothes and a good house baring a fiew roots an berries you were as carniverious as your brother the wolf who followed the heards like yourself from birds shells an the porcupine your women dressed your body in clothes Sometimes you turned over an enemy an gathered hair to trim you leggions this you raised with out irrigation often this went the other way when this happened your trimmer found a neet brade down your back making a handy hand holt for the savinier gatherer you were not quite as raw now Frank as you were whene you were on earth before but still show strong croppings of the savige an as I am your kind my self.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a picture book in the truest sense – every page has at least one picture. Since they are all Charlie Russell pictures, that makes it even better. The letters in this collection are mostly transcribed next to the illustrations, so you can read the text of the letters. In some cases the letters were so short and so clearly written, the editors just left them to speak for themselves. He wrote about his everyday life, and many of the pictures include self-portraits of Charlie in whatever situation he speaks of in the letter. In his Christmas cards, he’s always holding a bottle of good cheer to wish his friends the best of health. The personality of Charlie Russell permeates every letter. The editor’s pages putting the letters into context serve to illuminate the time and place of the letters, but his own words and pictures display Charlie at his best more eloquently than any editor ever could. One of the most interesting things about his letters – Charlie’s spelling was erratic at best, but his handwriting is as clear as his pictures – the lovely copperplate of a bygone era. You need to be able to read cursive lettering to get the most out of this wonderful book, but read it anyway because it _is_ a wonderful glimpse into the life of Montana’s best artist. Unlike most non-fiction, I read it all in one sitting, because it's just that good.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply an astounding book. Charlie Russell, one of the greatest artists of the Old American West, illustrated his letters. Having arrived from the East to Montana in 1880 he worked for years as a cowpuncher on ranches and on roundups. He sketched whenever he had the chance and has thereby preserved and immortalized the Old West for future generations who would otherwise never know anything about that life. Among his most moving paintings are those of Native Americans which he drew with great dignity and respect. The attention to detail of tack and cowboy gear is treasure. Thanks to Brian W. Dippie for bringing us this fabulous book!

[Amanda Maregente · Rating 5 out of 5]

If someone said they wanted to read a book that felt like an art museum, I’d hand them this.

Beautiful sketches. The emaciated cow. The Native Americans, and the (reverse) Cowgirls 😏.

Highly recommend if you like western art.