Press Release
July 1, 2022
Contact: Diana Simon
Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 580-336-2405
dsimon@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/cherokeestripmuseum
Cherokee Strip Museum in Perry Opens “Barney P. Enright, Photographer” Exhibit
PERRY, Okla. — On Tuesday, July 5, the Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School in Perry will open “Barney P. Enright, Photographer,” a new exhibit about the life and work of Perry photographer Barney P. Enright. A variety of Enright’s photographic prints, as well as period cameras and clothing, are included in this exhibit telling the story of his career as a lensman.
At the age of 21, Enright moved with his family to Lahoma in Oklahoma Territory. His love of photography began with taking pictures of farms and homes in the area and creating stereoscopic photographs of the prairie landscape. The Enright family moved to Perry in 1910, establishing a farm northwest of town. Enright worked as a photographer for 30 years in Perry. Enright singularly documented the devastation of the April 20, 1912, tornado that caused immense damage to the town. That same year he and his brother established the Enright Brothers Photography Studio in downtown Perry. He became the personal photographer of Pawnee Bill, taking many photos of Pawnee Bill’s Old Town. He married his wife, Sylvia, in a ceremony held at the Pawnee Bill Ranch at the invitation of the Lillie family.
The exhibit will remain open through Saturday, December 17, 2022. Exhibit content for “Barney P. Enright, Photographer” is also available to view and read online at www.cherokee-strip-museum.org/Enright/bpEnright.htm. Cheryl DeJager and the late Perry historian and author Fred Beers provided research for this exhibit. DeJager has loaned many Enright photographs for this special exhibition.
The Cherokee Strip Museum is located at 2617 W. Fir St. in Perry. For more information about activities and exhibits at the museum, please call 580-336-2405.
The Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School is an affiliate of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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