Price: Call 618-553-2291, or email info@bonsellamericana.com
Frame Size (H x L): 13” x 20”
Pennant Size (H x L): 4 ¾” x 11 ½”  

Offered is a striking Texas Centennial pennant dating to 1936, printed on felt and featuring bold western imagery associated with the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Texas independence. The pennant is rendered in a warm red-orange field with a contrasting yellow hoist, while the graphics are printed primarily in white, yellow, and red.

The design is dominated by the words “TEXAS CENTENNIAL” in large white block lettering, immediately identifying the piece with the statewide centennial celebration. To the left is a dramatic image of a cowboy riding a bucking bronco, an especially appropriate motif for an event that leaned heavily into Texas history, ranching culture, and the mythology of the American West. Beneath the horse appears the printed phrase “BUCKING BRONCHO,” while a yellow five-pointed star carries the date “1936.” Together, the typography and imagery give the pennant the unmistakable visual character of 1930s exposition and souvenir material.

The Texas Centennial commemorated the 100th anniversary of Texas independence in 1836. Although events were held throughout the state, the centerpiece was the Texas Centennial Exposition in Dallas, which opened at Fair Park in June 1936. The exposition combined Texas history with an emphasis on modernization, industry, culture, and progress, drawing millions of visitors during its run.

The celebration was far larger than a single fair. Centennial projects and events took place throughout Texas, resulting in new museums, monuments, restored historic sites, and commemorative buildings. The effort was both historical and promotional, presenting Texas as a place with a distinctive past and an ambitious future.

Souvenir pennants such as this were especially well suited to large public celebrations of the era. Made inexpensively from felt, they could incorporate colorful printed graphics and be easily carried home by visitors. Their imagery often distilled an event into a handful of immediately recognizable symbols. Here, the cowboy, bucking horse, star, and oversized Texas lettering present an idealized vision of the state that would have been immediately recognizable to visitors in 1936.

More than simply a Texas souvenir, the pennant is a colorful surviving artifact from one of the state's largest commemorative events of the 20th century. Its strong period graphics, western imagery, and prominent Centennial lettering make it an especially appealing example of Texas exposition material from 1936.

Conservation Process: This pennant was hand sewn to cotton fabric, and both were hand sewn to a mounting board. To prevent the black dye in the cotton fabric from seeping into the pennant, it was first washed in a standard wash and then in a dye setting wash.  The pennant is positioned behind Optium Museum Acrylic.

Frame: The pennant is housed in a wide, rustic wood frame with a dark brown finish that allows the natural grain to remain clearly visible.

Condition Report: The pennant is in good overall condition, with age-related fading, mottling, and scattered discoloration throughout the felt. The printed graphics and lettering remain strong and readily legible, with only minor surface wear and softening along the edges consistent with age.

Collectability Level: The Good – For Beginners and Gifts    
Date of Origin: 1936