1883 Stereoscopicphotograph by Woodward
Stereoscopic Co., Rochester, N.Y.
The right hand border identifies "Utica, N.Y.", probably where this photograph was taken.
If anyone is from Utica and knows this building, send a current photo & I'll post it.
...........Click on thumbnails to enlarge
The horse & buggy is a good size comparison of the large billboard.
Original photographs of Buffalo Bills early outdoor billboard advertising with Buffalo Bill & Doc Carver are very rare!
1883 was Buffalo Bill's first year of Wild West Shows over the next 34 years. Shadows on the billboard from tree branches don't help clarity.
I have a powerful magnifying glass and can make out about 95% of what the billboard has printed on it. Across the top of the billboard is " The Wild West, Cody & Carver's Rocky Mountain and Prairie Exhibition".
Across the bottom of the billboard I can make out "Herds of Mountain Elk (?) & Indians _ _" The scene shows two white horses and riders. Both riders are shooting at huge, dark buffaloes that are larger than even their horses.
The enlarged photograph is not very clear as I had to enlarge it so much. A powerful, quality magnifying glass brings out the billboard details.
The Wild West Show with Cody & Carver opened in May of 1883 in Omaha, Nebraska and the two partners parted ways in November of 1883 which makes dating this billboard very easy as far as the year it was used and this photo taken.
Amazingly, an original Billboard for Buffalo Bills Wild West Show was uncovered, still on a wall in New York just a few years ago. I have included some information on that billboard on another post about Buffalo Bill on this blog. You can see that Buffalo Bill Combination post here.
The "Utica" photo is the old Utica City Hall building. It no longer exists. See:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.oneidacountyhistory.org/Landmarks/CityHall/UticaCityHall.asp