VIRTUAL EXHIBIT
BUFFALO BILL: A LIFE IN PHOTOS |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| William F. Cody, c. 1856, at the age of eleven he crossed
the Great Plains for the first time as a relief driver on a
wagon train. |
William F. Cody, c. 1864, at the age of eighteen he enlisted
in the Union Army near the end of the Civil War. |
William F. Cody with Ned Buntline and Texas Jack Omohundro,
c. 1873. Having earned the name of Buffalo Bill as a scout and
buffalo hunter, Cody joined Omohundro and Buntline onstage in
the melodrama “Scouts of the Prairie”. This was
the beginning of Buffalo Bill’s show business career.
|
William F. Cody with Wild Bill Hickok and Texas Jack Omohundro,
c. 1874. Cody and Texas Jack split with Ned Buntline after their
first season. They then invited their friend Wild Bill to join
them onstage in a new production, “Scouts of the Plains”.
Hickok stayed with the show for seven months, then moved to
Deadwood, where he was killed in 1876. |
 |
 |
 |
| William F. Cody with Sitting Bull, c. 1885. After ten years
performing on stage, Cody began Buffalo Bill’s Wild West,
a large outdoor exhibition, in 1883. Sitting Bull appeared in
the Wild West for four months in 1885. This photograph was taken
during the show’s appearance in Montreal. |
William F. Cody, c. 1886. In 1886 the Wild West appeared
for several months at Erastina on Staten Island. It was during
this time that his publicity photograph was taken. |
William F. Cody, c. 1886. Cody is flanked by Sioux
Indians on his left and Pawnee Indians on his right, all members
of his Wild West. This publicity photo was taken while the Wild
West was appearing at Erastina on Staten Island. |
 |
 |
 |
| William F. Cody, c. 1890. This photograph was taken while
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West was in Europe. The Wild West
did shows throughout Europe from 1887 to 1892. |
William F. Cody, c. 1894. Following its successful run at
the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, Buffalo
Bill’s Wild West spent the summer of 1894 in Brooklyn,
New York. This photo was probably taken at that time. Buffalo
Bill’s jacket and pants, in this photo, can be seen on
exhibit at the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave. |
William F. Cody, c. 1900. Mounted on Isham, one
of his favorite horses, Buffalo Bill strikes a classic pose
behind the scenes at the Wild West. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| William F. Cody, c. 1901. Buffalo Bill relaxes outside his
tent during an appearance of the Wild West at the Pan-American
Exposition in Buffalo, New York. |
William F. Cody, c. 1904. This photograph was probably taken
in London during the Wild West’s return to Great Britain
from 1902-1904. Buffalo Bill was rarely seen without a cowboy
hat, even when the occasion demanded fancy dress. |
William F. Cody and Pawnee Bill, c. 1908. In 1908 Buffalo
Bill’s Wild West merged with Pawnee Bill’s Far East.
This photograph was taken to promote that merger. |
William F. Cody, c. 1914. In 1913 Buffalo Bill’s Wild
West/Pawnee Bill’s Far East was sold at auction to pay
debts. As part of the settlement, Buffalo Bill was forced to
appear in the Sells Floto Circus. Here a 68 year old Cody watches
the circus from the stands. |
 |
|
|
|
| William F. Cody, c. 1917. Buffalo Bill at Glenwood Springs,
where he had journeyed to take in the healing waters. There
he was told by Doctor Crook that he had only a few days to live.
He immediately went to his sister’s house in Denver, where
he died eight days later on January 10, 1917. |
|
|
|
Note: Copies of these photos are available
from the Museum.
ORDER
FORM
|
|
