Cody William



Buffalo Bill Portrait - Vintage, Oversized Photograph







Vintage oversized sepia-colored photograph of Wild West entertainer William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody (1846-1917). Inscribed in stone at lower left: "Col. W.F. Cody, 'Buffalo Bill' / © by F. J. Hiscock, Cody, Wyo." This formal portrait depicts Cody in a tailored suit and wide-brimmed hat, ca. 1908. Expected surface wear including light scuffs, wrinkles, and isolated stains, else very good to near fine. Mounting traces verso. 10" x 13.375."







Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, led by the charismatic showman of the same name, dazzled American and European crowds alike for more than 30 years. This colorful traveling circus featured Cowboys, Indians, Bandits, and other motley characters. Performers like Sitting Bull and Calamity Jane reenacted famous events, staged stunts and tricks, raced on horseback, and circled their Conestoga wagons on demand. In the context of the show, Buffalo Bill usually cultivated an image of the rough-riding frontiersman. Yet in real life, Buffalo Bill was more of a dandy. This photograph--with the sitter's meticulously groomed facial hair and jeweled tie pin--wonderfully contrasts with Buffalo Bill's stage image.







Local northwestern Wyoming artist and photographer F.J. Hiscock (1873-1951) captured many moments in Buffalo Bill's later life. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West has F.J. Hiscock photographs in its digital collections. Hiscock's early-twentieth-century photographs feature the entertainer in portraits, group shots, and candid views, showing Buffalo Bill leading tourists to Frost Cave, and welcoming guests to the Irma Hotel.







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