Icon, Brand, Myth The Calgary Stampede

For almost a century, the Calgary Stampede has captured the imagination of millions, transforming from a modest agricultural fair into a globally recognized celebration. In Icon, Brand, Myth, contributors trace the event’s complex evolution — from its cowboy mythmaking origins and Indigenous involvement to the interplay between commerce, and culture. Both critical and compelling, this book unveils the spectacle’s cultural significance and its enduring role in defining what it means to be “Western.” A must-read for anyone interested in Alberta history.

About the Editor

Max Foran is professor in the Faculty of Communication and History at the University of Calgary. He has written extensively on various western Canadian urban, rural, and cultural topics, most recently on ranching, urban growth, and sustainability.

Reviews

… a great beginning for a more thoughtful consideration of the Calgary Stampede and its place in Western Canadian culture.

Left History

Table of Contents

1. Acknowledgements
2. Introduction
3. 1. The Stampede in Historical Context / Max Foran
4. 2. Making Tradition: The Calgary Stampede, 1912–1939 / Donald G. Wetherell
5. 3. The Indians and the Stampede / Hugh A. Dempsey
6. 4. Calgary’s Parading Culture Before 1912 / Lorry W. Felske
7. 5. Midway to Respectability: Carnivals at the Calgary Stampede / Fiona Angus
8. 6. More Than Partners: The Calgary Stampede and the City of Calgary / Max Foran
9. 7. Riding Broncs and Taming Contradictions: Reflections on the Uses of the Cowboy in the Calgary Stampede / Tamara Palmer Seiler
10. 8. A Spurring Soul: A Tenderfoot’s Guide to the Calgary Stampede Rodeo / Glen Mikkelsen
11. 9. The Half a Mile of Heaven’s Gate / Aritha van Herk
12. 10. “Cowtown It Ain’t”: The Stampede and Calgary’s Public Monuments / Frits Pannekoek
13. 11. “A Wonderful Picture”: Western Art and the Calgary Stampede / Brian Rusted
14. 12. The Social Construction of the Canadian Cowboy: Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Posters, 1952–1972 / Robert M. Seiler and Tamara Palmer Seiler
15. 13. Renewing the Stampede for the 21st Century: A Conversation with Vern Kimball, Calgary Stampede Chief Executive Officer
16. Bibliography / Contributors / Index

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.5 CA). It may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, provided that the original author is credited.