This is a grouping from Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show from the 1890's. Gordon William Lillie, "Pawnee Bill", was born on 14 February, 1860, in Bloomington, Illinois. The Lillie family moved to Wellington, Kansas when Gordon was 16 years old, where he immediately developed a love for the Old West. At age 19, Lillie was working on the Pawnee Indian agency in Indian Territory. In 1883, he was hired as the Pawnee interpreter of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and the showman "Pawnee Bill" was born. In 1886 Pawnee Bill married May Manning, who starred in his shows as the "Champion Girl Horseback Shot of the West". Although their show struggled the first year, the couple kept at it and eventually operated a successful Wild West show. In 1908 Pawnee Bill and Buffalo Bill joined forces and created the "Two Bill's" show. That show proved to be a short lived enterprise. Gordon William "Pawnee Bill" Lillie died on 3 February, 1942 at his home in Pawnee, Oklahoma. The grouping consists of a Pawnee Bill painted trunk dated 1892, a Model 1894 Winchester saddle ring carbine, manufactured in 1897, identified to a Pawnee Bill performer named Marvin Dayowl, a native American costume made by the C.E Ward Co. of New London, Ohio and ink stamped PAWNEE BILL W.W.S./PAWNEE OKLAHOMA/INDIAN TERRITORY, a set of camp utensils marked Pawnee Bill's and dated 1892, a show poster of "The Two Bill's" show in a barn wood frame, a show poster for the Pawnee Bill show of 1903, a reproduction print of Will Bill Cody with Chiefs Brave Chief, Eagle Chief, Knife Chief, Young Chief, American Horse, Rocky Bear, Flys Above and Long Wolf, a frame with five authentic post card images, two of Buffalo Bill, one of Pawnee Bill and two of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, a color print of Pawnee Bill in a barn wood frame, a framed reproduction photo of Buffalo Bill and Red Cloud taken by W.R. Cross in Hot Springs, South Dakota in 1891, a small wooden box with the Pawnee Bill W.W.S. ink stamp on it, a vintage 1890's seven of clubs playing card with bullet hole from the show, a small $5 gold eagle money bag, a photo documentary of Pawnee Bill's show from 1900-1905 and a copy of Pawnee Bill's biography written by Glenn Shirley. The Winchester is still functional and chambered in 30-30 Winchester Center Fire. The painted trunk is the eye catching center piece of the grouping. It is very well made and still fully capable of hauling a load around right now! The camp cooking utensils are from the late 1800's and have been placed in a barn wood frame. The show posters, photographs and post cards, both authentic and reproduction, are all framed. This grouping has amazing display power! if you collect the old west, you gotta check this group out!

Item # AA2822

(Sold)