Buffalo Bill Show

Extraordinary large silver print showing the Buffalo Bill Show at the NY State Penitentiary in Auburn, NY, July 30, 1908. This extremely rare photo is identified with a pencil inscription on the back but this is certainly a well-documented event. While we have seen two other examples of photographs of Buffalo Bill with his troupe for this show we haven’t ever seen this particular image.  Surrounded by a large group of prisoners on each side we see a sizeable contingent of Native Americans in the foreground.  The show is taking center stage during the exposure as we see two large spinning wheels.  The one in the far distance appears plain on the backside while the one closer to the foreground looks like a big piece of peppermint candy!  It appears a person is on their back on the table with the wheel mostly likely being spun on their feet.  We assume this is a trick shot or knife act and if anyone has any information on this part of the show please let us know.  Directly in front of the closest wheel is a large cylinder that appears made from concrete with some long object protruding out at an angle?  This gorgeous historical image is in excellent condition with super tones and contrast.  Two small dark spots in the sky as seen and a soft corner on the mount on the top right corner with a hint of wear also on the top left.  Some tiny black spots also visible in the enlarged scan but we didn’t notice them when viewing person.  It measures 11” x 14” with the mount and there is no photographer’s identification that we notice.  For an example of another photo from this show please reference Cowan’s June 2012 auction. This is a real showstopper and will be a wonderful conversation piece on your wall!
$500