On Saturday, June 12 at 11am, as part of the Silver City Museum’s Unpacking Silver City presentation and discussion series, U.S. history teacher, education consultant, and author Jim Smith will present “The West in Popular Culture: Silver City and the Legend of Billy the Kid,” a survey of how stories about Billy the Kid have changed over time and how the Kid’s legend fits into the larger context of how the West is portrayed in popular culture. 

To register and attend, go to www.silvercitymuseum.org, click on https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XhJdr6tFTh6YhGrqVgeBSQ, or launch the video conferencing program Zoom and use Meeting ID 863 5555 4011.

As a subject of legend and myth, Billy the Kid is one of the most well-known characters from the American West. In stories that stretch across the spectrum from light entertainment to serious art, the Kid has been portrayed as a violent punk and a champion of the oppressed, a rebellious youth and a populist hero, a black-hearted soul and a tragic young boy who went bad after the death of his mother.

For more than 140 years, people have been telling stories about Billy the Kid and will no doubt continue telling them far into the future.

The presentation will also explore the integral role Silver City has played as a town that is forever linked to Billy the Kid and his enduring legend. In examining questions about Silver City during the years Billy the Kid lived in the town (1873-75), the presentation will attempt to recreate Silver City’s early years as a mining camp. An understanding of the town as Billy the Kid knew it should not only help people better understand the Kid himself, it should also help people “unpack” Silver City and gain a better understanding of the town’s rich and vibrant history.

Jim Smith is a history teacher and education consultant who has made presentations on teaching U.S. history to teachers and administrators throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Jim is the author of four books including a U.S. history textbook titled Ideas That Shape A Nation and a novel about Billy the Kid titled Catherine’s Son, a book that was selected as a finalist for the New Mexico-Arizona Books Award for best historical fiction. Jim has been recognized as the New Mexico Teacher of the Year and a Finalist for the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

All Unpacking Silver City presentations will be 30-45 minutes, followed by a moderated Q&A and discussion in which the audience is encouraged to bring their questions and perspectives.  

Information gathered in this series, including public discussion, will become part of the Silver City Museum’s ambitious future exhibit Silver City 101, which will provide a primer for guests and residents on local history. The exhibit will involve physical objects and displays on-site, as well as an expansive digital component that will be accessible online.

The Silver City Museum creates opportunities for residents and visitors to explore, understand, and celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of southwestern New Mexico by collecting, preserving, researching, and interpreting the region's unique history. It is nationally recognized through its accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums.

For more information, please contact the museum at (575) 538-5921 education@silvercitymuseum.org, or visit the museum's website: www.silvercitymuseum.org