The Autry National Center has acquired important pieces of Roy Rogers memorabilia recently auctioned-off following the close of the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum.
“The Autry is proud to be the new home of the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Archive, and we are reaching out to their fans to help us preserve this collection,” said John Gray, the President and CEO of the Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to the study and preservation of the cultural American West.
The highlight of the new collection is the one-of-a-kind plastic saddle Roy rode aboard his horse, Trigger, as Marshal of the 1952 Tournament of Roses Parade. The gleaming white plastic saddle with corona and contrasting black trim is adorned with ten dozen hand painted yellow and red roses and sterling silver slotted berry conchos.
The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum closed its doors in December 2009 amid dwindling attendance and financial hardship.