How The Buffalo Lost His Crown

BEACOM, JOHN H. & CHARLES M. RUSSELL [WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY]

Publication: Forest and Stream Publishing Co, 1894, N P

First edition. Oblong 4to. 10 1/4" x 12 1/2" original decorated cloth with titles and decoration stamped in silver on the front cover, 41 pp., all illustrations by Charles M. Russell. "How the Buffalo Lost His Crown was, one of C.M. Russell's first projects when he decided to leave cowboying and see whether he could make a living with the painting and sketching that had delighted friends for a decade. A career-soldier friend stationed at Fort Shaw, Lieutenant John H Beacom, had retold this legend after learning it from a Blackfeet orator. During the winter of 1893-94, Russell settled down to serious painting. He completed the paintings that would illustrate Beacom's book. When the book was published in 1894, its title page gave the name of Charles M. Russell along with the sobriquet ‘The Cowboy Artist’ - and omitted Beacom's name completely, although his surname appeared on the cover and his signature followed the text. Two pages gave a biographical sketch of Russell, accompanied by a photograph of the artist wearing fringed sash and bandanna tie." Illustrations include: An Evening with Old Nis-su kai-yo, The Bone Game, Old Man Sending a Courier, The Great Game for Rulership of the World, “From This Day Forth,” “Though Shalt Live on the Flesh of the Buffalo,” and Portrait of Charles M. Russell." Cloth is moderately worn and soiled but in solid condition, internally clean and bright, else a very good copy of a rare item. A rare Russell item with only four auction records since 1952, the last being in 1985.