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Exceptionally rare and wonderful, 1894 Signed, Inscribed and dated, very large size, Cabinet Card Photograph of William "Buffalo Bill" Cody. This fantastic card mount photograph measures approx. 5" by 7 3/4" and is mounted on its original card mount which is impressed with the mark of the photographer - Stacy of Brooklyn, New York (size of the card mount is a whopping 6 7/8" by 9 3/4")
This image is a very rare portrait of Bill seated on an ornate, wicker chair in front of his personal tent where he lived and entertained guests while traveling with his Wild West show. Cody is "dressed to the nines" wearing his trade mark wide brimmed hat, leather boots, a double breasted suit and tie. On the knot of his tie we see his cherished sterling silver, buffalo head tie tack.
The interior of Cody's tent can be seen through the open flap behind him. It is comfortably decorated with an oriental rug, ornate wicker furniture and at least 4 wonderful, framed portraits of the consummate showman!!
This particular portrait of Buffalo Bill is an exceptionally rare one and to find one in such a very large size on its original photographer’s card mount, is a thrill for those of us who cherish the legend and the memory of this Western Icon. Add to this the fact that Cody has signed, inscribed and dated the Photo and this outstanding Photograph is raised to the level of a museum piece.
At the top of the Image area on the blank tent canvas Cody has written “With the Compliments of / W. F. Cody / “Buffalo Bill” / July 4th, 1894”. To the left (but still on the Image itself) he has added “To Howard C. Jones”. It should be noted that July 4th, 1894 was the 11th anniversary of the inaugural performance of the very first “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West” - adding just another layer of importance to this wonderful Photograph
We will not attempt to summarize the storied history of the larger than life figure that was Buffalo Bill Cody - we assume those interested in this wonderful Signed Photograph will likely know more than we do about his life and legend. Suffice it to say that we are proud to be able to offer this wonderful piece of Western Americana, as always, without reserve and with the confidence that it will attract the serious attention that it justly deserves.
The Signature, Inscription and date are 100%, unconditionally guaranteed authentic and backed by our “no questions asked” return policy and lifetime guarantee of authenticity. It will come with our Certificate of Authenticity and an unconditional guarantee that it will be deemed original and in the hand of William “Buffalo Bill” Cody by any, 3rd party authentication service.
This fantastic, oversize cabinet card Photo came to us matted and framed in a display that was surely assembled by the original owner at the time he acquired it. The original 1890’s newspaper backing and wooden backboards had never been removed or disturbed. We disassembled the frame in order to figure our the format of the Photograph and were simply blown away to discover that it was such a large, card mount Image. The Cabinet Card was affixed to the matt with an adhesive that had begun to crumble over the years and the Card could easily be removed from the matt leaving adhesive residue around the edges of the Card but no thinning of the surface. A professional restorer will be able to easily remove this adhesive resulting in an exceptionally well preserved card mount which is intact, sound and untrimmed. We have included an image below of the original display (glass removed) and will send the frame, matt, backboards, glass and brittle newspaper liner along with the Photograph to the winning buyer.
The Photograph itself is very well preserved. The focus is sharp, the contrast strong and the tonality rich. There is a small, light stain in the margin of the Image at the upper left hand corner and a VERY light surface rub to the right of Cody which is MUCH more visible in the scans below than it is when the Photograph is viewed in hand.
The Inscription and double signature written by Cody at the top of the Photograph is dark and bold but there is an ink smudge affecting the “W” of “W.F. Cody” and the first few letters of “Buffalo Bill” which appears to have occurred at the time that the Photograph was signed. The date is light and it actually appears that this inscription, signatures and date were executed with a pen that was having “issues” at the time. Still the Inscription and the Signatures are very attractive and overall this is one of the most impressive Signed Buffalo Bill items we have ever seen.
This exceptionally rare and wonderful, Oversized Cabinet Card Photograph of Buffalo Bill Cody, inscribed, double signed and dated by a man who was (and is) the very symbol of the American West, is sold here, as always without reserve and with the confidence that it will attract the serious attention that ot justly deserves!!!
Once Again we wish to stress: The Signature, Inscription and date are 100%, unconditionally guaranteed authentic and backed by our “no questions asked” return policy and lifetime guarantee of authenticity. It will come with our Certificate of Authenticity and an unconditional guarantee that it will be deemed original and in the hand of William “Buffalo Bill” Cody by any, 3rd party authentication service.
Overseasshippping is extra and cost will be quoted at buyers request. Massachusetts residents must add 6.25% sales tax.
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Important Notes about Shipping Charges:
The amount quoted for Shipping & Handling is calculated by and is equal to the EXACT amount charged by the Post Office plus a $1.00 "packing fee" - the $1.00 fee is our only compensation for the virgin packing materials we use on all of our professionally packaged boxes as well as our cost for the salaried help that does most of our packing - as I am sure you can see, we make NO profit on the Shipping charges and, in fact, our costs are usually greater than the $1.00 fee. Please contact us if there are any issues regarding the cost of shipping.
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