Description:

Cody William

Buffalo Bill Abstract "Wild West" Portrait - Vintage, Oversized Photograph

 

Vintage oversized black and white photographic print of an original abstract painting depicting Wild West entertainer William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody (1846-1917). The image is part portrait, part a collage of Western paraphernalia. It is based on one of the most iconic photographs ever taken of Cody, in which he is wearing an upturned cowboy hat and an embroidered jacket.

 

This fanciful depiction of Buffalo Bill incorporates major Western iconography. For example, the outline of Cody's hat brim is rendered as a lasso, which defines Cody's left shoulder, and then terminates in the inscription "Wild West." Cody's long hair is depicted as feathers in a Plains Indian's bonnet, his ear as a horse's head, his eyebrows as belts, his eyes as stirrups, his nose as an overlapping axe and pick, his moustache as a pair of snowshoes, his goatee as a buffalo's head, and the outline of his chin as arrows in a quiver.

 

Adhered in the upper left corner of the photograph, a typewritten label reads: "Painted in England and presented to Buffalo Bill while his Wild West Show was over there. XXXXXX A very good likeness and a good representation of the Wild west. The painting from which this is a photographic copy still hangs in the Irma Hotel previously owned by Colonel Cody." Minor water damage and peeling in the upper right corner. Some overall wavering, wrinkles, and chipped edges, else very good to near fine. 10.875" x 13.875".

 

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, a colorful and rollicksome traveling circus featuring Cowboys, Indians, Bandits, and other motley characters, dazzled American and European crowds alike. The entertainers made quite an impression during visits to Great Britain in 1887, 1891, 1892, 1902, 1903, and 1904. The painting mentioned in our typewritten label was presented to Cody during one of these overseas tours.

 

The Hotel Irma, located in Cody, Wyoming, still operates today. Established in 1902 by Cody and named after his youngest daughter Irma (1884-1918), the hotel was built to accommodate Yellowstone Park tourists, big game hunters, and mining and ranching businessmen.

 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

 

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Shipping

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Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


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January 16, 2020 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000