[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900

Price: $11,000.00

Hardcover. Small oblong octavo. Measuring 7" x 5½". Half leather and pebble-grained cloth. Spine perished with boards detached, ribbon ties broken, good only. Photos evenly faded, some browning to outer margins of card stock, but overall about very good images. Contains 42 sepia-toned gelatin silver photographs. Each image is approximately 3¾" x 4½" and is mounted on stiff card stock. Each photo is captioned in white ink "Pawnee Bill Wild West" in the negative and hand-numbered in ink on the mount.

The posed images by an unknown photographer include trick riders, several of woman performers on horseback, grazing buffalo and steers, calf roping, show tents and teepees, a stagecoach, a woman sharpshooter, groups of Native Americans, a monkey on a donkey's back, a young girl holding a small musical instrument (a horn) balanced on a ball, a snake charmer, a trained bear standing on two feet and flanked by his trainers, etc.

Gordon W. Lillie (1860-1942), also known as "Pawnee Bill" began his career in Wild West shows with Buffalo Bill Cody in 1883. His knowledge of the Pawnee language made him an invaluable interpreter for the members of the tribe participating in Buffalo Bill's shows. By 1888 he had created his own show, "Pawnee Bill's Wild West" with his new wife May Manning, who became a sharpshooter with the show. This first effort was not a financial success.

According to a brief biography done by Erin Glanville Brown for the Oklahoma Historical Society, Lillie became one of the leaders of the Boomer Movement and led a group of some 4000 people into Kingfisher County in the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889. This brought him national recognition and a chance to reorganize and reestablish a successful show, "Pawnee Bill's Historical Wild West, Indian Museum and Encampment." The show "traveled the United States and Europe, starring May Lillie as the Champion Horseback Shot of the West. In 1908 he rejoined forces with Buffalo Bill Cody, forming "Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Pawnee Bill's Great Far East," a Wild West show that had no equal at that time."

Although none of the performers are identified, it seems likely that at least a couple are of May Manning Lillie.


Item #419673

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Item #419673 [Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900
[Photo Album]: Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. A Collection of Original Promotional Photos. Circa 1900