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Introduction
After fighting in the Civil War as a private, he married Louisa Frederici and continued some scouting work. He then got a job to kill 12 buffalo a day to feed workers on the Kansas Pacific Railway, eventually duking it out with another shooter to claim the title of Buffalo Bill. Cody, of course, won the shooting match. His fame spread, both as a scout and in his operations against the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes; some of these feats can be seen in his later posters.
was only about 11, he got a job as a messenger boy, eventually traveling long distances by mule. Cody was already hunting buffalo at age 13, and there were many skirmishes with Indians at this time. The graphic panoramas of the posters which would cover the countryside many years later drew on the events of these very early years.
B
William Frederick Cody was born (yes, in a log cabin) in Scott County, Iowa on February 26, 1846. Bill Cody’s childhood found him busily engaged in farming chores in the newly organized Territory of Kansas, and he became an adroit handler and rider of horses at an early age. His first contacts with Indians were almost from birth, and he befriended two Kickapoo boys at an early
uffalo Bill’s influence on America’s consciousness of its western heritage has been enormous and quite pervasive. The images we still associate with cowboys and Indians can be traced back to not only his shows, but the 1,700 dime novels, couriers, programs, books, and—of course—the thousands of posters and billboards, seen by many more millions than were able to see the show or could read the books. These items played a major part in the shaping of our image, tradition, and romance of the American West.
In 1869, Cody met Ned Buntline (the pen name of Edward Zane Carroll Judson), who would help launch his showman career with biographical dime novels and theatre performances. This inspired Cody to tour with the Buffalo Bill Combination, which included many Indians, cowboys, and actors in “Western” melodramas featuring acts of marksmanship, Indian war dances, lots of shooting, and fancy riding. In 1883, he began his Wild West shows, which used his previous theatrical acts on a much larger scale. But the most enduring feature of all was Buffalo Bill himself (many posters put “himself” in quotes after his name to emphasize that the real one would be there). For this reason, at least one poster each season was simply a portrait of Buffalo Bill.
Europeans. It was represented and glamorized on posters as well, which forever cemented this drama in our history and legend as a uniquely American experience.
From 1883 until 1916, Buffalo Bill starred in his Wild West. It became the most sensational and
At 14, he became one of the riders for the Pony Express, which would also become a popular feature of his Wild West shows for more than 30 years, seen by millions of Americans and
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before every Wild West show, two railroad cars preceded the troupe to advertise the next exhibition. Their principal job was to plaster thousands of posters within a 200-mile radius of the next city. There is every indication that not a single inch of space—in a store window, on the side of a building, on a barn, fence, or on a specially-constructed board along the road, or anywhere at all—was out of the Wild West billposter’s reach. His advertising reach was not only prolific, but representative of the cream of the crop of American design. The very best posterists and the most esteemed printers worked for Cody, from Strobridge in Cincinnati, Ohio to Imp. Chaix in Paris and Imp. Weiners in London.
Buffaloopened.Billinsisted on authenticity and quality in everything his Wild West did, and this quite naturally extended to the design and lithography of his “paper,” as posters were referred to in the trade at that time. There is evidence that Cody personally knew and appreciated the work of some of the best artists and designers of the time. There is also evidence that he had a direct hand in the selection of lithographers and that he befriended many and frequently visited their plants.
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It’s time to share them.
widely seen show, witnessed by more than 50 million people in over 1,000 cities in about 12 countries. Details of that spectacle and pageantry are seen in the following posters.
This collection includes a particularly notable billboard: “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Westward the Course,” printed by Calhoun in Hartford, Connecticut. They were not lithographers, though—Calhoun specialized in steel and wood engraving. They were responsible for Buffalo Bill’s very first poster, and many more followed. The aforementioned billboard consists of 28 individually wood-engraved sheets, making it one of the largest American billboards created this
Buffalo Bill and his posters dramatized the West and made it real, vital, and thrilling through actual performances and widespread postings. His most marked characteristic was to see the advertising possibilities in the life he had actually lived as an Indian fighter, Army scout, guide, and buffalo killer. These posters exploited a pageant of a passing era, and one which we’ll never witness again. As a lifelong fan of Buffalo Bill, I have spent the last 40 years chasing down this magical past: attending auctions worldwide, visiting museums dedicated to Cody, consulting with experts, and amassing this unique collection of rare and important lithographs and engravings.
One of the unusual aspects of Buffalo Bill’s posters are the many billboards his Wild West used. He was by no means the first to utilize these large billboards, but there is no question that he did the most to popularize them, and that these billboards reached their height (and length) when advertising the Wild West. Today, these are the rarest and least seldom seen in any exhibition or reproduced in any volume. But in Cody’s time, these enormous works not only functioned effectively to attract ticket-buying audiences, but became tourist attractions in their own right, and their sheer size gave them an undeniable force. The rare chance to see them in their original size today leaves one breathless.
It was Buffalo Bill’s luck—and our good fortune as well—that the golden age of the tent shows, from 1880 to 1910, coincided with the golden age of the American poster. And the posters which best show the talents of America’s lithographic artists and craftsmen are these very posters. Both in terms of lithographic craftsmanship and fine design, as well as in sheer quantity of the output—Buffalo Bill might need over 500,000 sheets for a single season—these posters were the finest images being created in America. And they were not only good, but had to be good! For the circus and the Wild West—or any tent or traveling show—the poster was the principal means of advertising, of creating the excitement prior to the show’s arrival, and sustaining it until the box office
1. Hon. W. F. Cody, Buffalo Bill. (8 Sheets). 82 x 109 ½ in./208.3 x 278.2 cm Calhoun Printing Co., Hartford
2.
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Royal Visitors. 1887. 20 x 27 ½ in./50.8 x 69.8 cm A. Hoen, Baltimore
3. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Visit of Their Majesties. 1903. (Framed). Arthur Jule Goodman (1870-1926)
By
29 x 39 in./73.7 x 99 cm
4. English Visitors to Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / London. 1887. 20 1⁄8 x 28 ¾ in./51 x 73 cm A. Hoen, Baltimore
5. Buffalo Bill / Famous Generals. 21 5⁄8 x 31 7⁄8 in./55 x 81 cm A. Hoen, Baltimore
6. Buffalo Bill / The Last of the Great Scouts. 1905. By Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899) 29 x 39 3⁄8 in./73.8 x 99.7 cm Imp. & Lith. Weiners / Ch. Wall, Paris
7. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Bucking Steer. 28 ½ x 41 ¾ in./72.5 x 106.2 cm Calhoun Printing Co., Hartford
8. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Race Cowboy-Mexican-Indian. 41 3⁄8 x 29 ¼ in./105 x 74.3 cm Calhoun Printing Co., Hartford
9. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. 41 ½ x 29 1⁄8 in./105.5 x 74 cm Calhoun Printing Co., Hartford
10. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Mexican Hidalgo. 41 5⁄8 x 83 3⁄8 in./105.7 x 211.7 cm Calhoun Printing Co., Hartford
11. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Johnny Baker. 42 x 83 ¼ in./106.6 x 211.3 Calhoun Printing Co., Hartford
12. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Riding Wild Mustang. 41 5⁄8 x 83 1⁄8 in./105.7 x 211 Calhoun Printing Co., Hartford
13. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Riding Wild Mustang. ca. 1885. 41 ½ x 82 7⁄8 in./105.5 x 210.5 cm Calhoun Printing Co., Hartford
14. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Westward the Course. (28 Sheets). 239 x 110 ¼ in./ 645 x 280 cm Calhoun Printing Co., Hartford
16. Col. Cody et Ses Cowboys. 19 1⁄8 x 28 3⁄8 in./ 48.5 x 72 cm Imp. Weiners, Paris 15. Col. Cody / Pleurez Mes Yeux. 18 ½ x 27 7⁄8 in./47 x 70.7 cm Imp. Weiners, Paris 17. Cody / Enfants Conduisez Vos Parents. 14 1⁄8 x 38 5⁄8 in./36 x 98 cm Imp. Weiners, Paris
18. Hon. W. F. Cody / “Buffalo Bill.” ca. 1885. 40 ¾ x 73 ¾ in./103.4 x 202.5 cm Calhoun Printing Co., Hartford
19. Buffalo Bill / Sepia Portrait. 29 ¼ x 42 in./74.2 x 106.6 cm Hatch Litho., NY
20. Hon. W. F. Cody / Portrait. 30 1⁄8 x 40 ¼ in./76.5 x 102.3 cm H.A. Thomas & Wylie, NY
21. I Am Coming. ca. 1906. 43 ¾ x 28 ¾ in./106 x 73 cm Imp. Weiners, London
22. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Neuilly-Paris. 1889. 26 x 34 ½ in./66 x 87.5 cm Lith. F. Appel, Paris
23. Scenes in the Life of Col. W. F. Cody. 39 3⁄8 x 29 ¼ in./100 x 74.5 cm A. Hoen, Baltimore
24. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Actual Scene. 118 x 53 in./300 x 134.5 cm Courier Litho. Co., Buffalo, NY
25. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Col. W. F. Cody / Entente Cordial. 30 x 39 ¾ in./76.2 x 101 cm Imp. Weiners, Paris
26. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Champ de Mars. 1903. By Arthur Jule Goodman (1870-1926) 20 1⁄8 x 35 7⁄8 in./51 x 91.2 cm
27. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / The Picked Cavalry from Both Hemispheres. 1905. x 91 ¾ in./36.5 x 207.6 cm Litho. Co., Buffalo, NY
14 3⁄8
Courier
28. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Congress of Aborigines. 1902. x 82 in./36 x 209.3 cm
14 ¼
Courier Litho. Co., Buffalo, NY
3⁄8
29. Buffalo Bill / “Preparedness.” 1916. 18 1⁄8 x 54 1⁄2in./46 x 138.6 cm Strobridge Litho., Cincinnati
30. Buffalo Bill’s Reviewing Rough Riders. 1902. 42 x 28 ¾ in./106.5 x 73 cm Courier Litho. Co., Buffalo, NY
31. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Mounted Warriors of All Nations. 41 ¾ x 28 ¾ in./106 x 72.8 cm Courier Litho. Co., Buffalo, NY
32. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Mountain Top Defenders. 40 1⁄4 x 30 in./103.5 x 76.3 cm Imp. Chaix, Paris
33. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Great Train Hold-Up. 1907. 38 3⁄8 x 28 ¾ in./97.4 x 73 cm Strobridge Litho., Cincinnati
34. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Cowboys des Prairies. 1905. 41 x 84 7⁄8 in./104 x 215.56 cm Imp. Chaix, Paris
35. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Amazone Américaines. 1905. 40 7⁄8 x 85 in./103.7 x 216 cm Imp. Chaix, Paris
36. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Chasse Aux Buffles. 1905. (4 Sheets). 118 ¾ x 80 5⁄8 in./301.7 x 204.8 cm Imp. Chaix, Paris
37. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Chasseurs à Cheval. 40 ¾ x 84 ½ in./103.5 x 214.8 cm Imp. Chaix, Paris
38. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Les Zouaves de Devlin. 1905. D. Hand
38 ¼ x 81 5⁄8 in./97.2 x 207.3 cm Imp. Weiners, Paris
By
39. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Shooting Horsemen. 19 3⁄8 x 29 3⁄8 in./49 x 74.5 cm Imp. Weiners, Paris
40. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Indian on Horseback. 19 ½ x 29 5⁄8 in./49.7 x 75.2 cm Imp. Weiners, London
41. Buffalo Bill & Pawnee Bill / Football on Horseback. 1910. 41 x 27 7⁄8 in./104.2 x 70.8 cm Russell Morgan Print, Cincinnati
42. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / ”L’Espèce d’Équitation la Plus Dure.” 39 x 57 ¾ in./99 x 146.5 cm Imp. Weiners, Paris
43. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Indian on Horseback. 29 ¼ x 42 1⁄8 in./74.3 x 107 cm The Forbes Co., Boston
44. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Indian on Horseback. 1905. 20 x 27 ¼ in./50.6 x 69.3 cm Imp. Chaix, Paris
45. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / White Horse. 18 7⁄8 x 29 ¼ in./48 x 74.23 cm Imp. Weiners, Paris
46. Buffalo Bill / Portrait. (Framed). 16 ¾ x 21 ¼ in./42.5 x 54 cm W.J. Morgan, Cincinnati
47. Buffalo Bill & 101 Ranch / “Preparedness.” 1916. 28 ¼ x 37 7⁄8 in./71.8 x 95 cm Strobridge Litho., Cincinnati
48. W. F. Cody / Villeneuve-Sur-Lot. 28 ¾ x 45 3⁄8 in./73.2 x 115.3 cm Imp. Weiners, Paris
49. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / Cody & Indian Cameos. 21 x 25 ½ in./55 x 64.7 cm A. Hoen, Baltimore
50. Custer’s Last Stand / Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. 1904. 41 3⁄4 x 29 in./106 x 73.6 cm Courier Co., Buffalo
The posters of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West represent America’s golden age of lithography. These images are not only top advertisements of the period, but some of the finest examples of American printing from 1880 to 1910. Buffalo Bill and his posters dramatized the West and made it real, vital, and thrilling through actual performances and widespread postings. Today, these designs still shape our vision and romance of that time. The 49 posters included here are the result of 40 years of collecting, consulting, and researching the life of a legendary man, William Frederick Cody.
