A trio of posters that trace Buffalo Bill's rise to fame are set to highlight Swann Auction Galleries' August 6 Vintage Posters sale in New York.
 The posters chart Buffalo Bill's journey from scout to showman |
The selection is led by a classic image of WF Cody as a grey-haired showman late in his career. Created in 1908, the poster is set to sell for between $12,000 and $18,000.
Following is a rare French portrait from 1905, which hails from Buffalo Bill's second tour of France in 1905, having previously visited in 1889. The poster shows scenes from his life, with a portrait of the Wild West hero at the centre.
It is expected to sell for $10,000-15,000.
 Buffalo Bill served in the American civil war, before working as a civilian scout during the Indian wars |
Paul Frenzeny's The Scout shows Buffalo Bill in the position that would earn him the monicker, sitting on horseback with a smoking rifle and brown hair.
As Swann states, it was one of the images that helped to create the legend of Buffalo Bill, and has been valued at between $4,000 and $6,000.
At the top of the sale, the usual sought-after highlights feature, including a "Job" poster from Alphonse Mucha ($20,000-30,000) and HR Hopps' famous "Destroy This Mad Brute/Enlist" poster from the first world war ($15,000-20,000).
Paul Fraser Collectibles has a great selection of vintage posters for sale.
