1902 · [Londo
by [Buffalo Bill]
[Londo: Partington, 1902. [4],xiv,[3]-64,[xv]-xviii pp. Quarto. Original color pictorial wrappers. Wrappers edgeworn, chipped along spine. Text lightly tanned. In fair condition. Designated "10th Edition" on the titlepage. A program for Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, likely produced to coincide with the show's 1903 tour of Europe. All the advertisements are for British products, and the price of the program is six pence. The show was performed at the Olympia Theatre, and the floor plan for the arena is given, as are instructions for travelling to the venue by rail. Most of the text is devoted to biographical information on Buffalo Bill and tales of thrills in the American West, but the official program for the British production is also given. The show began with "The Star-Spangled Banner" and a procession by the "Rough Riders of the World" (led by Cody on horseback), followed by a Pony Express rider, "Western Prairie Girls," assorted Indians, cavalry veterans, and more, until finally Cody himself took the stage at the end of the first part of the show. The second half featured a recreation of the Battle of San Juan Hill from the Spanish- American War. The program also takes care to note that "Colonel Cody uses Winchester Rifles and Winchester Ammunition exclusively in all his exhibitions." A nice artifact of the Wild West show at the height of its international fame, complete with Buffalo Bill's personal product endorsements, and a celebration of the American victory over the Spanish in Cuba. (Inventory #: WRCAM35927)