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Martha Canary, a.k.a. Calamity Jane, was long considered an outlaw harpy. But this legendary figure of the Far West deserves better than her reputation. Above all a woman of action, she was part of most American adventures of the late nineteenth century. She was not a “saint” though: for most she created her own myth and her life is quite difficult to recount. … She was just a free woman in a man’s world. The La Poste Museum will be honoring her legacy this fall with an exhibition and a book.

Calamity Jane is a name which carries different meanings depending on which side of the Atlantic Ocean it is pronounced. A name which does not necessarily sound ironic, nor arouses amused condescension in the U.S. like it does here. Nothing strange about it, she belongs to the family, she is one of them. Somewhat like an everlastingly generous granny… About her, they know –with more or less certainty- what to expect. In Europe, especially in France, the common perception tends to be more negative or at the least more questionable. Straightaway she is considered an outlaw, a sort of female desperado. Without really knowing why, by hearsay. Her nickname has probably something to do with it and we must recognize that it has rarely been an advantage to her. Some comic books, like the Calamity Jane album of Lucky Luke’s adventures, sometimes described her in barely favorable light. This perception might be changing.

An extraordinary woman

For example, under the cover of a song. Camélia Jordana, with her recent success Calamity Jane, has helped to correct the distorted image that sticks to the skin of the figure of the Wild West. The words evoke the image of an adventuress enamored by liberty: “As I left so much behind me, left my heart in the desert, my body subject to storm, I tracked scoundrels…” It is far from the lawless woman people still imagine. Coming out this October, the book Calamity Jane- Memories of the West goes in that same direction, a sort of “rehabilitation.” The author, Gregory Munro, spent more than ten years investigating this legendary woman. He visited the United States several times to view documents in museums and libraries. He walked in her footsteps, discovered the places she lived or frequented, and her relationships with other American heroes of the time (Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hicock…). “She was truly an extraordinary woman: she dressed as a man, smoked, drank heavily, and carried weapons,” he says, “and she participated in a multitude of events and expeditions.”It is indeed found in all theaters of operations at the time: the railroad, cattle, the army, the Indians, gold… Not that she was always invited. She effectively joined the ranks of the Union Army as a scout. Past experience quickly turned it sour, and she apparently stayed only a few days with the Northern troops.

An early media coverage

She also took part in campaigns against the Indians. It is even said she was the first white woman to enter the Black Hills, sacred mountains of the Sioux, who controlled that territory. She tried to prospect for gold (by participating in particular geological research), was keeper of a hotel, a livestock breeder and conveyor… Later, towards the end of her life, she has been associated with performances where she most often played her own role.

If Calamity Jane was in all the adventures of America from the late nineteenth century, she played this image early on. She was in fact barely twenty years old when photos of her and stories of her travels bloomed in all the newspapers. She was one of the first “mediated” women. Though she has probably added a lot- and journalists have often told their side of what was selling- it remains nonetheless that she was an exceptional woman. Independent, outgoing, moving constantly from Wyoming to Dakota, from Montana to Colorado. She was also a sentimental woman. “We know she had a heart of gold; she was generous,” says Gregory Munro. Wherever she went, she never hesitated to take care of poor people and sick children. She herself had several children, two or maybe three, it was never possible to determine exactly. The existence of one of them, Jane, is particularly revealed through letters to her daughter Martha in a book published for the first time in 1941. The book brings together letters that Calamity Jane would have written….but never sent.

The exhibition at the La Poste Museum

These texts, now studied in high schools and a play from last year, add a poignant dimension to the character, even though their authenticity remains questionable. There, Calamity Jane expresses her remorse at having abandoned her daughter, and not having been sufficiently concerned by it. The writings, apocryphal or not, reinforce the romantic character of this woman which a special destiny.

The Address La Poste Museum traces this destiny with an exhibition which starts on October 26th. In a “saloon” atmosphere, the exhibition opens with a retrospective of the tumultuous adventures of Calamity Jane with pictures, objects (weapons of the era, saddles, outfits…) and supporting documentation. The history of Martha’s letters to her daughter is then discussed (the originals of these letters are showcased) through various books and stories. And the “ride” ends with the showing of films on this woman who, more than a century after her death, continues to amaze. An exhibition that helps bring together the perspectives and viewpoints of her from either side of the Atlantic.