Reagan Ranch Center Unveils New Exhibits Featuring Reagan Letters, Photographs, and Memorabilia

By

newguardstaff

February 7, 2017

On February 6— Ronald Reagan’s birthday—Young America’s Foundation unveiled a new exhibit focused around some remarkable collections from the Reagan Ranch Center Archives, including the Zelda Multz, Lorraine Wagner, and Russell D. and Mary Beth Sibert collections.

Visitors to the Center will be familiar with the Wagner and Sibert collections, both of which have been key displays at the Reagan Ranch Center Exhibit Galleries. The Wagner Collection is an archive of personal letters and photographs from the pen pal relationship between Ronald Reagan and Lorraine Makler Wagner. The Sibert Collection—which is the most complete private collection of its kind—is comprised of more than 4,000 pieces of memorabilia from Ronald Reagan’s extensive career from Hollywood to the White House. The collection includes campaign buttons, posters, books, letters, postcards, glassware, jewelry, and others items.

Recently, thanks to the generosity of Paul and Pam Jepson, Young America’s Foundation acquired another unique collection from the personal records of Zelda Multz. Like Wagner, Multz served as a president of the official Ronald Reagan Fan Club and formed a friendship with the young actor. The collection consists of more than 300 vintage photographs and 128 letters, spanning from the 1940s through the 1990s.

Together, these three collections help to tell the story of a leader whose ideas would change the world.

Through their correspondence, Ronald Reagan’s pen pals had a front row seat to the young Reagan’s battle against communist in ltration of Hollywood. They watched him emerge as a voice for freedom as spokesman for General Electric, then later as a supporter of Barry Goldwater. They saw him battle the welfare state as Governor of California and carry his protest against big government across the country as he campaigned for the Presidency. They got candid insights into his life as President and watched their old friend bring the conservative agenda to the national stage.

Spanning his career as an actor, spokesman, reluctant candidate, and enthusiastic and able leader, the exhibit displays Ronald Reagan’s developing role and ideas as well as his remarkable consistency in character and commitment to freedom.

We invite you to come to the Reagan Ranch Center to get a candid glimpse into the life of Ronald Reagan. View personal, never before seen snapshots of his family. Read his answers to some of his fans’ questions. Come see what makes him, in his own words, “sore under the collar.” And view the eternal optimism and patriotism of Ronald Reagan.

The new exhibit, along with other new acquisitions, will be available for viewing during the Reagan Ranch Center’s open gallery hours—Monday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).