“A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty Hi-Ho Silver! The Lone Ranger with his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early Western United States…From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again!”

– Introduction to the radiocast of The Lone Ranger 

Hi-Ho Kemo-Sabe!

We are thrilled to write this post about the legendary Lone Ranger and his constant companion Tonto. We’ve just received in the gallery this week a set of both iconic heroes in poster form. Printed in almost life-size, they are at once nostalgic, campy, effortlessly cool.

The Lone Ranger premiered in 1933 as a radio show, luring in children and adults alike with its stories of Western adventures. With its sounds of horse hoofs beating the desert clay and whips cracking, The Lone Ranger and Tonto defeated the enemy every time. The early thirties saw America clawing its way out of the Great Depression, seeking escapism from reality wherever it could. While the average American’s days may have been grim, at night they were able to turn up the dial and tune into a world far away, where the Lone Ranger and Tonto ruled in favor of justice for all.

An instant hit, the Lone Ranger was sponsored by the General Mills cereal company. This meant General Mills owned partial rights to the show, and was able to exclusively advertise during the show’s air time. Following the overwhelming success of similar Western show Hopalong Cassidy, and with the financial help of General Mills, The Lone Ranger made the big switch over to television in 1949.

The Lone Ranger, printed by General Mills in 1957. Click on the image to learn more

Tonto, The Lone Ranger’s faithful companion. Click on the image to learn more.