A Yard of Turkey Red: The Western Bandanna

Many a 19th-century cowboy bought a square yard of Turkey red cloth at the local mercantile and proudly tied it around his neck. The bright red material derived its name from the traditional Turkish process of dying cotton fabric. A rare collection of period bandannas provides Museum visitors a glimpse of authentic neckwear once sought after by young horsemen on the range and later popularized in Western fiction.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website