Bunch o' Belt Buckles

Some of the places I lived, I wore "western wear" most of the time.
Here are a few samples from my belt buckle collection.
If you wonder what this has to do with music, stay tuned.

Here is the buckle end of a belt on which I did the leatherwork while camping in the Black Hills.
The painted portion of the buckle was done by an artist friend from Montana.

This closeup lets you see Shirley Goben's signature.
Notice how small her brushstrokes had to be on this bison.

I don't know where RDS Manufacturing is (was?) or what they make (made?).
But I saw this in an antique store and needed a buckle featuring my initials.

For some reason, cowboys like to wear snakeskin.
Maybe it goes back to the time when God told the serpent that
he would bruise man's heel, but that man would bruise his head.

I lived in the big city of Quinter, Kansas when its centennial was celebrated.
I didn't win the buckle design contest. Oh yes, I forgot to submit my entry.

One of my favorite states to visit is New Mexico, The Land Of Enchantment.
This buckle features a roadrunner, an adobe pueblo, Native American crafts,
. . . and of course, the Zia Sun.

Also in my top five faves is Alaska, The Great Land.
It shares black bears and brown bears with with The Lower 48,
but only The Final Frontier is homeland to Ursus maritimus.

I have a set of buckles from Smith County Kansas' annual Old Settlers' Day.
This county is the geographical center of the continental United States.
Dr. Brewster Higley wrote a poem, "My Western Home," in this Smith County cabin.
His friend, Daniel Kelley, wrote a melody for it. In time, the lyrics changed a bit.
As "Home On The Range," it became the official Kansas state song in 1947.
Notice the images of the buffalo, the deer, and the antelope.
(I find no prairie chicken or squirrel in the lyrics.)

But Wait, There's More!

Since the original bluegrass players traditionally dressed in western clothes,
it is no surprise that someone would make belt buckles shaped like a banjo and a fiddle.

~ FURTHER READING ~

What's the difference between a fiddle and a violin?

The answer is easy: It depends.

If the question is
"What's the difference between
the instrument called a fiddle and
the instrument called a violin?"

The answer is easy: None.

If the question is
"What's the difference between
fiddle playing and violin playing?"

The answer is . . . complicated.

So, here is your music education assignment for today:

Listen to some standard old-time bluegrass, e.g.
Kenny Baker playing with Bill Monroe's band.

Then listen to some violin concertos, e.g.
Isaac Stern playing with the Philidelphia Orchestra.