working code for a stackoverflow.com question
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12135211/problems-displaying-wxbitmaps-using-wxpython

class viewWindow(wx.Frame):
        imgSizer = (480,360)
        def __init__(self, parent, title="View Window"):
                super(viewWindow,self).__init__(parent)
                ## create the menu and its sub trees
                menubar = wx.MenuBar()
                filemenu = wx.Menu()
                menubar.Append(filemenu, 'File')
                self.fitem = filemenu.Append(wx.ID_ANY, 'Open Connection Window')
                self.Bind(wx.EVT_MENU, self.openConnectionWindow, self.fitem)
                self.SetMenuBar(menubar)

                ## here is where the actual stuff inside the frame is set up.
                self.pnl = wx.Panel(self)
                self.vbox = wx.BoxSizer(wx.VERTICAL)

                ## create the wxImage for the web cam pic
                self.image = wx.EmptyImage(self.imgSizer[0],self.imgSizer[1])

                ## create the wxBitmap so that the wxImage can be displayed
                self.imageBit = wx.BitmapFromImage(self.image)
                self.staticBit = wx.StaticBitmap(self.pnl,wx.ID_ANY, self.imageBit)

                ## add the staticBit to the sizer so it is rendered properly on resizes and such
                ## note: not actually needed to get the image to display, but reccommended for ease
                ## of layout
                self.vbox.Add(self.staticBit)

                ## register the sizer with the panel so the panel knows to use it.
                self.pnl.SetSizer(self.vbox)

                ## create a timer that will update the window based on frame rate
                self.timex = wx.Timer(self, wx.ID_OK)
                self.timex.Start(1000/framerate)
                self.Bind(wx.EVT_TIMER, self.redraw, self.timex)

                ## set the size of the frame itself when it is first opened
                self.SetSize(self.imgSizer)
                self.Show()

        def openConnectionWindow(self, e):
                ## this will open a new connection window
                connect = connectionWindow(None)

        def redraw(self,e):
                ## this function updates the frame with the latest web cam image that has been
                ## retrieved by the client thread from the server.

                ## get the newest image in the queue
                if not imgQ.empty():
                        picz = imgQ.get()
                        ## convert the image from a string to something usable (wxImage)
                        self.image.SetData(picz)
                        ## from wxImage to wxBitmap
                        self.imageBit = wx.BitmapFromImage(self.image)
                        self.staticBit = wx.StaticBitmap(self.pnl,wx.ID_ANY, self.imageBit)
                        ## refresh the frame
                        self.Refresh()