Relics of the American West: 1850-1920
Lot 2221:
Description
This extraordinary, museum-grade archive documents the remarkable career of “Lone Star Harry” (b. ca. 1855), a quintessential late 19th-century American cowboy, U.S. Army scout, and premier Wild West showman. Born in Eagle Pass, Texas, Harry worked the Nueces River ranges for Captain Richard King, spearheaded a massive 3,500-head cattle drive to Nebraska in 1882, and served 12 years as an Army scout under General George Crook. He later transitioned to show business, performing at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and touring with legends like Pawnee Bill. This collection offers a rare look at his “Champion Revolver Manipulator of the World” persona, famous for his practical frontier combat advice—such as standing sideways so the left arm protects the heart. The lot features four matching promotional letterhead sheets detailing his lightning-fast 45-caliber revolver act, an 1896 United States postal card to the Gaiety Museum in New York, a rare broadside newspaper clipping from Saginaw, Michigan detailing his Curio Hall appearances, and a Montgomery Ward & Co. envelope postmarked Chicago (July 31, 1895) featuring handwritten performance correspondence on the reverse regarding “Texas Bill” and a pie-eating match. Photographic highlights include a cabinet card of Harry and his mule by the famed Charles Eisenmann of New York, a photographic card of performer Fatima “With Gaiety Girl,” a large 10″ x 8″ cabinet card of a mounted Wild West troupe, and a partial horizontal photographic card of seated performers. Constructed of original 1890s paper and cardstock, the collection exhibits expected age wear, including moderate fading, toning, edge chipping, minor creases, a partial tear on the seated performer photo, and a heavy moisture stain on the bottom right corner of the Saginaw broadside. H 12″, W 10″. Please see photos for condition.
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