Featured in this lot is a Buffalo Bill Cody Cast Iron Match Striker, a piece of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show memorabilia from 1887 made in London when the Wild West Show toured England for the first time. The impact made by Buffalo Bill was immense, and according to Don Russell, "The invasion of England by Buffalo Bill's Wild West in 1887, was, beyond much question, the most successful ever made by an American aggregation." Thousands lined the streets when the exhibition made its way to Earl's Court in London for the American Exhibition, and on its opening night, 28,000 people were there to see the splendor that was Colonel Cody's Wild West. Cody presented a vision of the American West that the audiences believed was rooted in authenticity and created a form of entertainment which was patronized by all classes of Victorian and Edwardian society including Queen Victoria and the Royal Family on all of its British tours. Buffalo Bill's Wild West was a living ethnographic extravaganza combining the educational and exotic with the spectacle of the circus and theatre. The enthusiastic reception that Cody achieved with the show in Europe and the United Kingdom helped make him into a worldwide celebrity. He was, without doubt, one of the greatest and most influential showmen in the history of popular entertainment, and arguably the most famous American in the nineteenth century. His visits to the United Kingdom informed and shaped how the American West was perceived by the English people. This match striker is in the shape of a bust of Buffalo Bill, with the striker accessed through the top of his hat. Below his neckerchief reads, "Hon. W. F. Cody Buffalo Bill". The rear has a stamp featuring the name of the manufacturer, 1887, London. The match striker bust is in very well preserved condition, a rich consistent patina noted throughout. No marring observed. Measures 3.25"W x 5.25"H with 2.25" base approximately.*

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