March 6, 2010—October 3, 2010

In 1914 Charles Bugbee, his wife Grace, and their son Harold fulfilled a long held dream by moving to the Panhandle of Texas from Massachusetts.  The clothing and household textiles purchased for the Texas climate supplemented those items brought from the East Coast.  Together the textiles and household items bequeathed to the museum in 2003 offer a perfect example of goods typically owned by a relocating family.

The multifaceted lifestyle of the Bugbee family can be seen in their textiles and clothing, from evening wear to working clothes, including those worn by Harold when he was the artist in residence and Curator of Art for the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum.  Harold, a prominent Western artist, exhibited across the country and illustrated numerous Western history books and magazines.  Olive Vandruff Bugbee, Harold’s second wife who came to Texas from California, was also an artist.  She added ready to wear designer clothes from California, New Mexico, and Texas while maintaining those items previously owned by Charles, Grace, and Harold.