Recalling the Buffalo: The Martin S. Garretson Collection

Cowboy, conservationist, and curator Martin S. Garretson was widely considered one of the foremost experts on the natural history of the buffalo as well as one of the preeminent advocates for the preservation of the North American bison for several decades during the early twentieth century. His personal mission to save the buffalo from imminent extinction and to inform the American public of the important role the buffalo played in North American history resulted in Garretson amassing a fascinating collection of material related to the bison and the people concerned with them and their fate. Edmonton's first historian laureate Ken Tingley explores Garretson's life and legacy through his collection in this splendid catalogue, which accompanied a 2012 exhibition of the Garretson Collection. The exhibition was mounted by the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library at Enterprise Square in downtown Edmonton, Alberta.

Ken Tingley, the City of Edmonton's first historian laureate, has been involved in historical research and writing for forty years. He has a deep interest in local history and the ephemera that so often expresses that history. He is the author of numerous publications about the history of Alberta.

Merrill Distad is Associate University Librarian for Research & Special Collections Services at the University of Alberta.