Description:

Cody William

Buffalo Bill Cody lavish gift to his close personal friends

An intriguing collection of items relating to "Buffalo Bill" Cody and his close personal friends, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Trego. The collection includes a series of accessories in addition to a turn-of-the century lady's vanity cabinet,  approximately 12" wide x 13.5" long x 7.5" deep with two saloon-style doors featuring portraits of young women, a top compartment covered by lid with applied decorative paper, and a bottom drawer with applied floral decorative paper and ornate metal handle. Inside, cabinet is lined with pink fabric, with mirrors on the inside of left and right doors and top lid. Accessories include brush, hand-held mirror, shoe horn, nail buffer, and other loose items. In addition, these lovely pieces are accompanied by an important signed and autographed personalized card, approximately 3" x 2" in the hand of William Cody, which reads, "W. F. Cody" in center, with "Judge Advocate General" at bottom left and "Cody Wyoming U.S.A." at bottom right. Inscription handwritten in pencil reads, "Merry Christmas To Carrie Trego from W. F. Cody." Date inscribed, "1916." The lot also includes a group of  celluloid negatives of another personalized card signed by Cody, which reads, "To Charlie & Carrie Trego. This old Remington revolver I carried and used for many years in Indian wars and Buffalo killing and it never failed me." Card signed, "W. F. Cody," and dated, "Dec 13th 1906."

A 6" x 7.75" mounted silver gelatin photograph of a few young girls including Carrie (Hayes) Trego, according to a handwritten inscription on the back, and documentation from Norm Flayderman and Leona Hayes (granddaughter of Carrie Trego), mentioning the vanity cabinet and personalized cards also accompanying the lot.

One cannot overstate the nature of the relationship between Buffalo Bill and the Tregos. Letters extant demonstrate a long standing association between them, spanning two decades beginning in 1896. His letters to them demonstrate his affection with such salutations as  "You know I love you both."  Cody wrote to them on June 5, 1914, while appearing with the Sell-Floto Circus, his unhappiest season in show business. He may also have been feeling his mortality in a way that he hadn't before, yet even the salutation is effusive: "My Dear Friends Charlie & Carrie." "...I have a lot of friends and will say sincere ones. But they don't seem to touch the my the [sic] heart like the Tregos. Nothing has ever come into our friendship to give it the least bit of a jar. And I hope it will continue on that beautiful shore beyond the divide..." But perhaps the most poignant demonstration of affection and high esteem was in 1906, when he offered his infamous gun, the old Remington revolver. Accompanying this lot is a negative of the original card he wrote to Charlie and Carrie Trego when he gifted them his prized gun in 1906: 

"To Charlie & Carrie Trego. This old Remington revolver. I carried and used for many years in Indian Wars and Buffalo killing. And it never failed me. WF Cody Dec 13th 1906"

 

This spectacular saloon style vanity cabinet excels as a remarkable showpiece with the most long standing and personal of associations of this remarkable colorful figure of the American Old West 

Provenance: Ex-Property of N. Flayderman & Co. Accompanied by a copy of the original letter of provenance which accompanied the Remington gun.

Condition: Vanity cabinet has quite a bit of wear, with decorative paper and veneer peeling off in multiple places, exposed wood in multiple spots, and interior fabric fading and discoloration. Mounted photograph very worn, with heavy peeling and discoloration throughout. Card with some discoloration and peeling. Photo negatives in fine condition.

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