The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame of Fort Worth, Texas, can now call the wardrobe of famed Wild West performer Lulu Bell Parr its own, as a gift of the entire collection has been provided courtesy of Barbara Schmitt and Mary Schmitt, owners of Cayuse Western Americana of Jackson, Wyoming. Recognized as the forerunner to modern-day western fashion and design, with a flare for the extravagant, Lulu Bell Parr captured the admiration of audiences around the globe with the spectacular garb she designed and created.

“The Museum has been particularly fortunate in recent months to have acquired several significant gifts that provide an intimate look into the lives of these incredible women,” said the Museum s Executive Director Pat Riley. “This wardrobe is the most complete of its kind and will join other significant gifts, such as Annie Oakley’s travel trunk, in telling a compelling story about the lives of women who carved the path that many continue to travel today.”

Described as a “rare and important group of Wild West Americana,” the collection includes more than 100 personal items of the audacious Parr, one of the most entertaining and flamboyant of the early Wild West Show cowgirls.

“It is a miracle that this collection exists,” said Mary Schmitt. “This collection is one of what historians believe could have been as many as eight trunks that contained her costumes and props and have since disappeared.”

Much of the collection includes leather jackets, vests and belts that display intricate beading reflective of the Sioux culture that surrounded Parr during her time as a performer, along with her #66 Miles City Saddlery Co. Coggshall saddle. More than 35 vintage photographs are also included giving Museum visitors a glimpse into the life of this extraordinary woman.

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Born in 1876 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Lulu did some trick riding and shooting but was best known for riding bucking horses. Parr was billed as a cowgirl that could ride any man-eating bronc that a cowboy could and often waved and smiled at the crowd as she did so. She stayed with the Pawnee Bill Show until 1908 before traveling to Europe with the Colonel Cummins Wild West Brighten Tour. She often talked about when she got to perform before King Edward in Liverpool, England. She was the headliner with Pawnee Bill’s Wild West in 1916. But the times were changing and the Wild West Shows weren’t making any money any more. Instead of retiring, she stayed touring with smaller less known shows. In 1929, at the age of 53, she was still performing with the King Brother’s Rodeo that barely made enough money to pay for the moving expense between cities. When she finally retired, she was penniless.

In 1937, Lulu moved into the home of her brother, William, in Dayton, OH. The home was made of tarpaper and had no electricity or water. She was well known in the neighborhood because she would dress up in her costumes and sit under a tree with her collectibles and meet the school kids when they got off the bus. Lulu died April 17, 1955, after suffering a stroke and was buried in Medway, Ohio, in an unmarked grave: an egregious oversight that was remedied in 2001 by the Medway Area Historical Society.

“The fact that Ms. Parr s belongings were recovered after such an unremarkable passing gives testimony to her significance to western culture and its history, said Riley. Although she married early in her career, she never had children and divorced after a short time. The Museum is truly grateful to Barbara Schmitt and Mary Schmitt for their selfless contribution of this significant gift.”

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The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame honors and celebrates women, past and present, whose lives exemplify the courage, resilience, and independence that helped shape the American West, and fosters an appreciation of the ideals and spirit of self-reliance they inspire.

Located at 1720 Gendy Street in Fort Worth s Cultural District, the museum includes interactive exhibit galleries, three theaters, a retail store and a grand rotunda housing the Hall of Fame. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adult admission is $10 and $8 for children ages 3 to 12 and seniors ages 60 and up. Please visit www.cowgirl.net or call 817.336.4475 or 800.476.FAME (3263) for more information.