American Historical Ephemera & Photography Online

Capt. A.H. Bogardus & Sons. Champion Shots of the World. Uncredited, but likely taken by Eisenmann of New York, ca 1889 (surface loss to lower right corner of print; light edge wear to mount). A cabinet card showing four shooters, Captain A.H. Bogardus (1834-1913) and his sons. Bogardus was one of Buffalo Bill's first trap shooters in the early Wild West shows. It was when Bogardus left in 1855 that Cody, still somewhat skeptical, let Annie Oakley try out for the sharpshooter's position. Most, and especially Bogardus, wear shooting medals; the two older sons with ammunition on their shirts and their belts. 

[With:] Cabinet card of a woman wearing a Native American costume with tomahawk in hand, possibly a wild west show performer. Marlboro, MA: Williams, n.d. Inscription on verso identifies the subject as "Jennie M. Simonds, daughter of S.E. Simonds." -- Cabinet card of two women in white dresses and fancy hats, each posed with a rifle in hand. Minneapolis, KS: Model Studio, n.d. (edge wear to mount). -- Cabinet photograph on 7 x 8 3/4 in. mount showing two women wearing wide-brimmed hats (staining to margins of print and mount; corner loss and pinholes in mount). The woman standing at left has a knife tucked in her belt and rests one of her boots on a fur-covered prop. An inscription on verso reads, "Yours to a cinder, L.D.E., Laura & Gertie Evans." 

Together, 4 cabinet photographs of wild west show performers and interesting personalities.