Vintage Photographs of Buffalo/Bison

Vintage Historic Photographs
home I movie stars I music legends I movie stills historic events I historic personages I landscapes I stereoviews I miscellaneous
Vintage Buffalo/Bison Images Photographs/Cards/Stereoviews/Artifacts


	"'Buffalo, Rocky Mountain Park, Banff, Canadian Rockies" "Photo Copyright Wm. Notman & Son" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, 1910 8.8 x 13.5 cm
	Herd of Bison "Harry Shipler, Photographer Salt Lake City, Utah" Original vintage photograph, c. 1910 Mount: 10 x 20.5 cm
	General Lawton, (see below), age 24 Wichita National Wildlife Reservation, Oklahoma "234976" Original vintage photograph, 1929 8.8 x 11.6 cm
	General Lawton (see below), age 18, and his herd at Wichita National Wildlife Reservation, Oklahoma "40010A" Original vintage photograph, 1923 10.6 x 16.3 cm
	"Scotty Phillip's Buffalo Ranch, six miles North of Ft. Pierre, S. D." "No. 922. Pub for Guy L. Hart, by Bloom Bros., Minneapolis, Minn. Made in Germany." Original vintage collotype postcard, 1910 9 x 13.7 cm
	"Pride of the Scotty Philip Herd, Pierre" "Printed for H. M. Straight & Co., Pierre" Original vintage lithograph postcard, 1907 9 x 13.7 cm
	"Montana Pioneers" "Copyrighted by J. A. Elliot, Butte, Mont. Dec. 19, '09" "Published by Cohn Bros, Importers and Jobbers, Butte, Mont. Original vintage photochrome postcard, 1909 9 x 13.7 cm "Montana Pioneers. - The great Allard herd of buffalo being rounded up by Charles Allard, the owner, assisted by his famous Indian Cowboys. This picture was take in 1892."
	"Buffalo on the Wichita Game Reserve Near Lawton, Okla" "40383 - C" "Made by Curt Teich & Co., Inc., Chicago, U.S.A." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, 1934 9 x 13.7 cm
	"96 Buffalo Banff" "Canadian Pacific Rockies. Photographed and Copyrighted by Byron Harmon, Banff, Canada" Original vintage photograph postcard, c. 1905 9 x 13.7 cm
	" Buffalo N. Y." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, 1911 9 x 13.7 cm
	"226 - Buffalo on the Range in the Rockies" "Sanborn Souvenir Co., Denver, Colo. 7A10-N" Original vintage color lithograph postcard (1937), c. 1960 9 x 13.7 cm "Buffalo once swarmed over the plains from the mountains to the Mississippi, congregating in herds of untold numbers that extended for miles. They furnished hides and meat to the Indians and in later years many of the noted scouts gained much of their reputations from their exploits in buffalo killing. These animals once so numerous are now reduced to a few scattered herds."
	" The Adam and Eve of America" "Published by W. T. Ridgley Calendar Co., Great Falls, Mont" Original vintage lithograph postcard, 1907 9 x 13.7 cm
	"9238 Buffalo at Water " "Copyright 1905 by Detroit Publishing Co." " 'Phostint' Card Made only by Detroit Publishing Co." Photographed in 1884 by C A Kendrick Original vintage photochrome postcard, 1905 9 x 13.7 cm
	" Buffalo N. Y." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1907 9 x 13.7 cm
	"8819 Buffalo Herd Near Fort Yellowstone" "Copr. Detroit Photographic Co." " 'Phostint' Card Made only by Detroit Publishing Co." Original vintage photochrome postcard, 1909 9 x 13.7 cm
	" Buffalo Herd 05" Original vintage lithograph postcard, c. 1925 9 x 13.7 cm
	"'83. A Few of the Remaining American Bison - Yellowstone National Park" "1925, A C Co." Original vintage color lithograph stereoview, 1925 9 x 17.7 cm
	"10692 - Roaming 'Monarch of the Plain.' The Buffalo in his Snow-bound Home, B. C., Can." "Keystone View Company, 1903" Original vintage photograph stereoview, 1903 9 x 17.7 cm Above stereoview verso "It is most likely too late to preserve the lordly American bison from extinction. About 500 head still exist, under legal protection in parks and zoological gardens. A few still roam wild in the forests south of the Great Slave Lake. The extermination began about 1860 and was pursued mercilessly from 1865 to1875, about 2,000,000 hides a year being sold for ten years, at an average of $1.00 each. The Indians slaughtered great numbers, but a veritable army of white hunters destroyed the enormous herds on the prairies as if they were cattle in the shambles. Now, where the first railroad trains were stopped by passing herds, or even steamboats halted in the Upper Missouri by swimming herds in the river, not a bison remains except a few captives. The specimens before us are the herd of Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal, his real name is Smith...preserved in the beautiful Rocky Mountains Park of Canada, among the towering peaks, lakes, glaciers and snow-fields of the Canadian Rockies"
	"10137 - A Buffalo Head, Yellowstone Park" "Haynes - Photo" "Published by Haynes, St. Paul. Official Photographer, Yellowstone National Park" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1920 9 x 13.7 cm
	"A Herd of Buffaloes 264" "Published by Scheuber Drug Co., Livingston, Mont." "Made in U.S.A." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1910 9 x 13.7 cm "The buffalo in Yellowstone Park are in two herds one on the Lamar River and at Mammoth Hot Springs, the success already attained in rearing these animals which are under Government protection is very encouraging."
	"Buffalo in City Park, Portland, Oregon " "1132. Publ. by The Portland Post Card Co., Portland, Ore." "Made in Germany" Original vintage photochrome postcard, c. 1910 9 x 13.7 cm
	"Wild Buffalo, one of America's 'first families,' at home on a sunny slope, Yellowstone Park, U.S.A." "Underwood and Underwood Publishers. New York. London. Toronto - Canada. Ottawa - Kansas." "Copyright 1904 by Underwood and Underwood." Original vintage photograph stereoview, 1904 9 x 17.7 cm
	"A Killing of Cows & Spikes" (Also titled "Five Minute's Work") "Copyright 1907 by L. A. Huffman" "The Huffman Pictures, Milestown, Montana" Photograph by L. A. Huffman , 1881 Original vintage collotype postcard, 1907 9 x 13.7 cm "A KILLING OF COWS AND SPIKES. Printed from the original negative taken in the Smokey Butte country in 1881, near the end of the great tragedy, the extermination of the American bison by red men and white, which was then nearing its culmination, between the Missouri and the Yellowstone, during the late seventies. Nine dead animals are shown. The killing was scattered over a mile of rough breaks, and numbered a total of forty cows and young bulls in all. What an AWFUL waste it was!" (L. A. Huffman)
	"Buffaloes in Pt Defiance Park, Tacoma, Wash. 5172" "The PCK Series. Made in Germany" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, 1910 9 x 13.7 cm
	"The Buffalo Hunt" From a painting by R. Atkinson Fox Original vintage color lithograph postcard, 1907 9 x 13.7 cm
	"Buffalo Bull" "Copyright 1906, by Everett Harold Baynes, Meriden, N. H." Original vintage lithograph postcard, 1906 9 x 13.7 cm
	"C. S. Co. 1 - Canadian Buffaloes" "C. S. Co. Ltd. Winnipeg" Original vintage collotype postcard, 1907 9 x 13.7 cm
	"Bison on the U. S. Reserve - Moise, Montana" "J. W. Meiers Polson, Mont." Original vintage photograph postcard, c. 1940 9 x 13.7 cm
	"Buffalo or Bison, Banff National Park, Canada Along the Line of the Canadian Pacific Railway" "Copyrighted by Byron Harmon, Banff, Canada" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1920-30 9 x 13.7 cm
	"8818 The Largest Living Buffalo Bull" "Copr. Detroit Photographic Co." " 'Phostint' Card Made only by Detroit Publishing Co." Original vintage photochrome postcard, 1909 9 x 13.7 cm
	"No 157. Buffalo Herd, near Ft. Yellowstone, Yellowstone Park." "Haynes Photo" "Published by Haynes, St. Paul, Official Photographer, Yellowstone National Park." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1910 - 1920 9 x 13.7 cm
	" No. 21. American Bison" "Photo by F. W. Bond" " From the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park. N. W." Original vintage lithograph postcard, c. 1910 9 x 13.7 cm
	"One of the Buffalo Herds in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park - 74" "Montana Postcard and Souvenir Co., Box 1157, Miles City, Montana 59301" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1970 9 x 13.7 cm
	"12. Buffaloes grazing. Yellowstone National Park" "Published by J. L. Robbins Co., Spokane, Wash. Made in U. S. A." "C. T. Photochrom A 6916" Original vintage photochrome postcard, c. 1916 9 x 13.7 cm
	" 51051 Bison (Buffalo) Herd" "Copr. Haynes" Original vintage photograph postcard, c. 1930-40 9 x 13.7 cm
	" 686. Buffalo and Elk in City Park, Denver, Colorado" "7-19-10" (Handwritten) Original vintage color lithograph postcard, 1910 9 x 13.7 cm
	"Buffalo at Wind Cave National Park In the Black Hills of South Dakota - 340" "Published by Dakota News Agency, Sioux Falls, S. D. A 'Natural Color Card' by E. C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, Wis. - FIL" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1930-40 9 x 13.7 cm "At Wind Cave National Park, a few miles from Hot Springs, buffalo roam wild on the rolling hills as they did when the Indian pursued them many years ago. Hundreds of these huge animals are in the Wind Cave herd, and can be seen from the highway by the traveler as he passes through the Park."
	" Buffalo Chase" " Published by W. T. Ridgley Calendar Co., Great Falls, Mont." Original vintage lithograph postcard, 1907 9 x 13.7 cm
	"46 - Buffalo N. Y." "© H B 1078" " 'Metrocraft, Everett, Mass." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, 1930 9 x 13.7 cm
	" Bull Buffalo " "Wind Cave National Park, Black Hills, S. Dak." "Black Hills Novelty and Mfg. Co., Box 1589, Rapid City, S. D." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1930 -1940 "The buffalo herd at the Wind Cave National Park is one of the largest in the United States. The herd is usually visible from the road through the Park, and every summer many tourists are able to get excellent pictures of them. Buffalo can be extremely dangerous when aroused, and it is advisable for the tourist to stay near his car when photographing them."
	"Buffalo (Bison bison)" "N-11 Color Photo by W. J. Gibbons, AMPA" " 'Made in Canada. Agency Press Ltd." "Banff, Alberta, Canada" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, 1966 9 x 13.7 cm "Buffalo (Bison bison) Sixty million buffalo once roamed the plains of this continent. These numbers were hopelessly decimated as civilization moved westward after 100 and brought greedy hunters who wantonly slaughtered the herds to the level of near extinction. Many bloody battles were fought between the white hunters and the Indians, who depended upon the buffalo for food, clothing and shelter. Protection of the last few surviving buffalo and the creation of reserves finally brought them back to the point were today they number 15,000 in Canada and 10,000 in the States."
	"63 - Buffaloes in the State Park, Black Hills. So. Dak." "80236 N Genuine Curt Teich - 'Chicago C. T. American Art' Distributed by Black Hills Post Card Co., Deadwood, S. D." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, 1919 9 x 13.7 cm
	"3743 B - American Bison. New York Zoological Park" "Copyrighted - New York Zoological Society, Publishers. Quadri-Color Co., New York" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1910 9 x 13.7 cm
	Buffalo Nickel, 1935 (Five Cent Indian Head) U. S. Coin 21.2 mm diameter; 1.5 mm thick Designed by sculptor James Earl Fraser, the Buffalo nickel or five cent piece was minted in the United States from 1913 through 1938. Although aficionados prefer the name Buffalo Nickel, the official name of the coin is the Five Cent Indian Head. Millions upon millions were minted (the US Mint claims the number to be 1.2 billion) over the 26 years of its life, and the record price paid for a particular rare stamping is a million and a quarter US dollars. Although named the Buffalo Nickel, it is in fact an American Bison that is depicted (buffaloes are found in India and Africa, the bison is related to the European Bison and the Canadian Woods Bison). The Native American on the obverse of the coin is a composite portrait of three chiefs, Iron Tail, Two Moons (also known as Adoeette), and maybe John Big Tree; the "buffalo" on the reverse is an American Bison, thought to be one named Black Diamond from the Central Park Zoo in New York City. If true, it may be related to the Bronx Zoo herd, and therefore to General Lawton (above) as well. President Teddy Roosevelt instigated the design and minting of this coin; without doubt his affection for the Old West and his respect for the Native American fostered the symbolism and iconography. The coin's daily use by millions for 26 years without doubt contributed to maintaining the memory of the "Indian," the "Buffalo" and their relationship for an extended time period. The coin was replaced in 1939 by the Jefferson Nickel; the pony-tailed president and his personal mansion continue to ride in our pockets and purses to this day, with no more respect and honor than was afforded the buffalo and its native partner. One in 25,000 nickels in circulation today is still a Buffalo Nickel.
	Buffalo Nickel, 2005 U. S. Coin 21.2 mm diameter; 1.5 mm thick
	U. S. $10 Note - Bison / Buffalo, 1901 Gold Certificate - Legal Tender FR-122 Issued to stimulate interest in the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition held in Portland Oregon in 1905. It features "Buffalo Bill" (sic) in the center flanked by portraits of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
	Indian Hunting Buffalo, 1898 The Trans-Mississippi Issue U. S. 4¢ Stamp Scott -287 Issued to promote the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition held in Omaha, Nebraska in 1898. This stamp was originally designed in two colors, but due to Bureau of Engraving's production of revenue stamps to fund the Spanish-American War, it was issued in one color. In 1998, 100 years later, it was re-issued in it's original bi-color design (Scott 3209). American Buffalo, 1923 U. S. 30¢ Stamp Scott -569 Wildlife Conservation, The American Buffalo, 1970 U. S. 6¢ Stamp Scott -1392 Bison, 2001 U. S. 21¢ Stamp Scott -3468 "Buffalo Chase," 1972 Indians of the Plains Les Indiens des Plaines Aboriginal Peoples Series (From painting by George Catlin) Canada 8¢ Stamp Scott (Canada) -562
	"America the Beautiful USA" "First Day of Issue" "© USPS 1988" "March 28, 1988 Buffalo, N. Y. 82834" U. S. 15¢ Postcard
	"American Wildlife Commemorative Series of 1987" "Official First Day of Issue" "Bison" "First Day of Issue" "USPS CAPEX Sta. . Toronto, Canada Jun 13 1987" U. S. 22¢ Stamp on Envelope
	"21202 © Buffalo (American Bison, Bull) Yellowstone National Park" "Copyright by Haynes, Inc. Yellowstone Park, Wyoming" "SA - H506" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1920-30 9 x 13.7 cm "This is a typical large buffalo bull (American Bison) of the herd of approximately one thousand in Yellowstone National Park."
	"Buffalo - Yellowstone Park" "Haynes - Photo <Collotype> Made in Germany" Original vintage collotype postcard, 1907 9 x 13.7 cm
	"Buffalo on the Range, Flathead Valley, Montana" "Published by James R. White, Kalispell, Mont. 60910 W" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1930 9 x 13.7 cm
	"9 - The Buffalo" "Oregon Trail Monument Expedition Post Card" "Published by Ezra Meeker, Seattle, Wash. " Original vintage lithograph postcard, c. 1906 9 x 13.7 cm "Once so vast in number but now extinct on the Plains this illustration will revive the memories of Pioneers of what was so often seen and quite too often dreaded in the wild stampedes led by just such fellows as here illustrated."
	"Buffalo - Canadian National Park, Banff, Canadian Pacific Railway 100394 NV." "Published by Valentine & Sons. Ltd., Toronto and Montreal" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1908 9 x 13.7 cm
	"Buffalo Herd Stampede, Yellowstone National Park" "Copyright by Haynes Picture Shops, Inc., 341 Selby Ave., St. Paul, Minn. and Yellowstone Park, Wyoming. 16181" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1940 9 x 13.7 cm "In Yellowstone Park there are approximately 1,000 buffaloes (American Bison). The majority of these constitute the Lamar Valley herd, some of which are in this picture. The 'show herd' of only a few buffaloes is quartered at Mammoth Hot Springs during the summer season"
	"Buffalo Herd Wind Cave National Park Wind Cave So. Dakota." © Rise Studio, 292W." Original vintage photograph postcard, c. 1940 -1950 9 x 13.7 cm
	"The Buffalo Hunter" From the painting by John Innes "Troilene Animal Series" "Published by The Cargill Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., U.S.A." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1910 9 x 13.7 cm
	"Bison, Philadelphia Zoo, Pa." "Published by the Zoological Society of Philadelphia" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1940 9 x 13.7 cm "Fifty years ago the Bison (incorrectly called Buffalo) was nearly extinct. Millions were slaughtered for their hides and tongues during the last half of the Nineteenth Century. Thanks to the protection given by the American and Canadian Governments the Bison is now plentiful again."
	"National Bison Range, Moiese, Montana" "Pub by The Rose Hall Studio, Sandpoint, Idaho" "41674 - B" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1955 9 x 13.7 cm "Here, several hundred bison are rounded up, from their 18,500 acre range, each Fall. Small quarys are 'cut out' by daring buffalo-boys and brought down at head-long speed (to minimize their cutting back) and put into smaller corrals, then chutes, there to be branded, vaccinated and the herds to be reduced to maximum range capacity."
	"Buffalo Herd Golden Gate Park. SF, Cal." "Piggett #548" Original vintage photograph postcard, c. 1940 -1950 9 x 13.7 cm
	"Buffalo in the North Dakota Badlands" "C26988 - Color Photo by North Dakota Travel Dept." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1974 9 x 13.7 cm "BUFFALO in the North Dakota Badlands, Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park. The American Bison which numbered in the millions on the Northern Great Plains until almost annihilated by white hunters in the 19th - Century. Now re-introduced herds of this majestic beast may often be seen in the park."
	"The Last of the Buffalo" Original vintage color (hand colored) lithograph stereoview, c. 1895 -1900 9 x 17.7 cm
	"The Finish" ""78 - Copyright N Y 1908" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, 1908 / 1912 9 x 13.7 cm
" 867-2 World's Largest Buffalo" " Montana Souvenir Company, Miles City, Montana" "Color Photo by Kosty" Original vintage lithograph postcard, c. 1960 9 x 13.7 cm "Replica (1959) of the once famous Buffalo which roamed the great Dakota prairie. Erected by the City of Jamestown, N. D. and the chamber of Commerce. the Buffalo is three story high and a weight of 60 tons."
"European Bison" "Copyright Photo by F. W. Bond" "From the Gardens of the Zoological Gardens of London, Regent's Park, N. W." Original vintage lithograph postcard, c. 1910 9 x 13.7 cm
Man Wearing Buffalo Robe Original vintage photograph postcard, 1910 "CYKO" 9 x 13.7 cm
Man Wearing Buffalo Chaps "Ellis Photo 530 K St. Sac'to, Calif" Original vintage photograph postcard, 1907 9 x 13.7 cm
" 'Buffalo Bill' William Cody" "Whose Home was in North Platte, Nebraska" "Barkalow Bros. Publishers, Omaha - Neb" "Art Tone 'Glow-Var' Finished. Made only by Beals, Des Moines, Iowa" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1910 - 20 9 x 13.7 cm "The name of Buffalo Bill, famous plainsman, Indian fighter and Government Scout, is inseparably linked with Overland Route History."
"994 Buffalo Bill (Col. Wm. F. Cody) Famous Plainsman and Scout" "6A23" "Sanborn Souvenir Co., Denver, Colo." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1940 9 x 13.7 cm "Buffalo Bill (Col. Wm. F. Cody) typifies a glorious and romantic period in American history. His life and exploits captured the imagination and enthusiasm of the whole world and dramatized more than any other man the early day adventures in conquering the West." William “Buffalo Bill” Cody 1846 – 1917 Buffalo Bill Cody got his name after he killed 4,280 buffaloes in an 18 month period. Originally known as an Indian fighter/killer (he killed his first Indian at age eleven) Cody received the Medal of Honor from the U.S. government and eventually was named “the most recognized celebrity on earth” with his “Wild West Show.” The contemporary view of Buffalo Bill is that of a conservationist (he later advocated a hunting season for buffalo) and Indian rights activist (he hired lots of Indians for his Wild West Show.)
"Under the Saddle" "Copyrighted by J. A. Elliot, Butte, Mont., Jan. 1910" "Published by Cohn Bros. Importers and Jobbers, Butte, Mont. Montana View Series. A7177" Original vintage color lithograph postcard, 1910 9 x 13.7 cm "UNDER THE SADDLE. This is the only Buffalo ever saddled, showing the dare-devil nature of the Northwestern Cowboy, who chances his life for the amusement of the spectators."
"5087. A Happy Cowboy on a Bucking Buffalo" " © 1910 U.P.R.R. Co." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, 1910 9 x 13.7 cm
"Mr. Ernest Harold Haynes Driving the Only Team of Buffaloes in the World" "Copyright, 1906, by Ernest Harold Haynes, Meriden, N. H." Original vintage ithograph postcard, 1910 9 x 13.7 cm
"Buffalo Charging Hunter" "Copyrighted 1910 by Amer. Tob. Co." "Indian Life in the ''60's' ' Original vintage photochrome trade card, 1910 6.3 x 8.3 cm "HASSAN Cork Tip Cigarettes. The Oriental Smoke. The Largest Selling Brand of Cigarettes in America." "Buffalo Charging Hunter Hunting the buffalo with bow and arrow was dangerous work, and the Indians depended largely upon the speed and activity of their trained ponies to keep out of danger. They were compelled to go close to their game in order to kill with the bow and arrow and had very little chance of success unless well mounted."
"Buffalo Wallow - Indian Hiding" "Copyrighted 1910 by Amer. Tob. Co." "Indian Life in the ''60's' ' Original vintage photochrome trade card, 1910 6.3 x 8.3 cm "HASSAN Cork Tip Cigarettes. The Oriental Smoke. The Largest Selling Brand of Cigarettes in America." "Buffalo Wallow Indian hiding from enemies behind a dead buffalo in a wallow. It was a common sight to see the carcass of a buffalo on the plains, and it has often been used as a shield from enemies both by Indians and white men. These wallows were formed by the buffalo lying down and rolling and swinging around, until a hollow was formed about a foot deep, which would collect rain water, which has been used by men for drinking water when there was not a stream within many miles. They have saved many lives."
"American Bison" Hills Practical Reference Library Original vintage wood engraving, 1903 5 x 7 cm
"Buffalo Medicine Man Arrayed for his Incantations and Ceremonies" "5A65 Sanborn Souvenir Co., Denver, Colo." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1935 9 x 13.7 cm "This Medicine Man with his Buffalo trappings is believed to possess and to be able to confer the strength and virtues of the Buffalo upon his followers. The hoop is the instrument with which he confers his charms."
"93 Buffalo Dance, Pueblo Indian Ceremony" "C. T. American Art Colored" "Harry Herz, 1655 Ebers St., San Diego, Calif." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1935 9 x 13.7 cm "The Pueblo Indians, though converted to Christianity three centuries ago, have not in the least given up their pagan Gods and rites, but have placed the white man's God in their ancient pantheon. The Buffalo dance, a celebration in honor of the God of the Chase and a sort of prayer for successful hunting during the winter, is held on the feast day of the patron saint of Tesuque Pueblo, St. James (san Diego), November 12th."
"K-386 - Buffalo and Deer Dance on the Indian Reservation" "Natural Color Reproduction - Curteich Color ® Art - Creation Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. "Distributed by Southwest Post Card Co., Box 685, Albuquerque, N. M." Original vintage color lithograph postcard, c. 1957 9 x 13.7 cm "The Indian Dances are many and the costumes worn are in keeping with the ceremony. The Dance of the Chase represents the Indian in costume with Buffalo Head and Bow and Arrow, other with Antlers carrying a stick in each hand to appear four footed, adorned with Fox Skins and Eagle Feathers."
"The Buffalo Dance of the Pueblo Indians" "Curteich Chicago. C. T. - Art - Colortone Postcard " Original vintage color lithograph postcard, 1937 9 x 13.7 cm "This dance is very colorful and interesting and done according to ancient Indian lore by all tribes of Pueblo Indians - the Hopi, San Juan, Santa Clara, Taos and all tribes of the Rio Grande. Genuine Buffalo heads and skins form part of the costume."
The Demise and Recovery of the Buffalo/Bison in North America Vintage images / objects from the 19th and 20th century Historical accounts vary as to precise dates and numbers, but it is quite accurate to say that the American Bison or Buffalo was almost entirely gone from North America by 1900. The proud, stalwart and beautiful beast that was sacred to the New World's Native Peoples for thousands of years, and roamed in herds of tens of thousands (an estimated 60 million once occupied the Great Plains), was virtually decimated by the US government within just a few years when it learned /decided that the "Indian" could be "discouraged" (official term) by eliminating its sacred animal. In 1867 the famed General Sheridan declared "Kill the buffalo, and you kill the Indians." This became official policy. Few efforts were initiated to stop the slaughter of this noble creature prior to the turn of the century. In an odd twist of fate, a New York zookeeper named William T. Hornaday had a sense of what was happening and acquired several of the remaining beasts for his zoo, probably unaware of the ultimate significance of this action. An Oklahoma Comanche Chief, Quanah Parker, led a campaign to encourage Hornaday to ship some of his animals to the newly-formed Wichita Mountains Wildlife Preserve in Oklahoma. In October of 1907 a train arrived in Cache, near Lawton, south of the Refuge. Aboard were 15 buffalo from the Bronx Zoo, one of which was a hefty two year old male, soon to be named General Lawton after a Civil War figure of local fame, General Lawton became the alpha male of the Wichita herd. The herd flourished and over the next years animals were transplanted back into their native habitats, albeit mostly protective reserves. Similar projects joined this effort and eventually the Buffalo/Bison population began to rebound. Even though population is no longer threatened today, the Bison's role in America's heritage exists only in memory and ritual . The above images/objects, including two rare vintage original photographs of General Lawton, are records of the "recovery" of the Bison/Buffalo in Western North America. Stereoviews from the early days of the 20th century, and then color postcards beginning in the 1910s were the popular media that tended to keep the Bison/Buffalo visible in American culture; both told a relatively honest story. Cumulatively they recount the story of the campaign to reverse the history of the bison's near complete demise. The Buffalo Nickel (1913-1938), as well as several U.S. Postal stamps, have served both to connect the Native American with the Bison/Buffalo, and serve as day-to-day reminders of a lost heritage. Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show as well as local rodeo acts served as mixed signals to the American public. Neither regained its rightful role in the American landscape/heritage, but perhaps the Bison/Buffalo fared better than the Native American. Native Americans retained their memories and spirit of the Bison/Buffalo primarily through ritual. The classic 1889 study entitled The Extermination of the American Bison by William T. Hornaday is available in its entirety, free with no restrictions, from The Gutenberg Project. Click here to download. THE EXTERMINATION OF THE AMERICAN BISON In January 1869 Theodore R. Davis published "The Buffalo Range" in Harpers New Monthly Magazine. The original pages from 1869 are in the archives of Imagi Gallery. This seventeen page article with illustrations by the author can be viewed/read in its entirety by clicking here. THE BUFFALO RANGE All of the above artifacts, with the exception of the 1901 U.S. $10 Note, are in the collection of Imagi Gallery. The 1887 Muybridge Animated Sequence (below) is in the Imagi Collection but is in Public Domain. For information, to purchase, or to discuss usage rights of these rare images, please contact (click here to email) Imagi Gallery. Galloping Buffalo Animated Sequence Eadweard Muybridge 1887
BACK
Imagi Gallery