This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/20/2021
Vintage oversized black and white photographic print of an original abstract painting depicting Wild West entertainer William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody (1846-1917). The image, measuring exactly 10.875" x 13.875,” is part portrait, part a collage of Western paraphernalia. It is based on one of the most iconic photographs ever taken of Cody, in which he is wearing an upturned cowboy hat and an embroidered jacket. This fanciful depiction of Buffalo Bill incorporates major Western iconography. For example, the outline of Cody's hat brim is rendered as a lasso, which defines Cody's left shoulder, and then terminates in the inscription "Wild West." Cody's long hair is depicted as feathers in a Plains Indian's bonnet, his ear as a horse's head, his eyebrows as belts, his eyes as stirrups, his nose as an overlapping axe and pick, his moustache as a pair of snowshoes, his goatee as a buffalo's head, and the outline of his chin as arrows in a quiver. Adhered in the upper left corner of the photograph, a typewritten label reads: "Painted in England and presented to Buffalo Bill while his Wild West Show was over there. XXXXXX A very good likeness and a good representation of the Wild west. The painting from which this is a photographic copy still hangs in the Irma Hotel previously owned by Colonel Cody." Minor water damage and peeling in the upper right corner. Some overall wavering, wrinkles, and chipped edges, else very good to near fine. Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, a colorful and rollicksome traveling circus featuring Cowboys, Indians, Bandits, and other motley characters, dazzled American and European crowds alike. The entertainers made quite an impression during visits to Great Britain in 1887, 1891, 1892, 1902, 1903, and 1904. The painting mentioned in our typewritten label was presented to Cody during one of these overseas tours. The Hotel Irma, located in Cody, Wyoming, still operates today. Established in 1902 by Cody and named after his youngest daughter Irma (1884-1918), the hotel was built to accommodate Yellowstone Park tourists, big game hunters, and mining and ranching businessmen. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.