Photograph Of William Frank "Doc" Carver, "Evil Spirit"

WORFOLK, CRAWFORD [PHOTORAPHER]

Publication: Privately photographed, n d (ca 1925), N P

6 1/2" x 4 1/2" black and white photograph with the words, "Evil Spirit" written in white ink at bottom left corner and "Crawford Worfolk" written at bottom right corner. Attached to bottom edge of photograph is a hand-written memoranda by Chas. Bernard, offering a bit of information on Doc W.F. Carver. The moniker "Evil Spirit" had been given to Carver by Spotted Tail, the famous chief of the Brulé Lakota, because Carver had felled a rare white buffalo. William F. (Doc) Carver was born (May 7, 1840 - Aug. 31, 1927) at Winslow, Illinois. Carver was a plainsman, trapper, buffalo hunter, Medicine Chief of the Santee Sioux, Worlds champion marksman, and Originator of the American Wild West Show. He became an excellent rifle shot and won fame in that pursuit. He and Buffalo Bill Cody met in New Haven, Connecticut in 1883, and agreed to form a Wild West Show partnership, which became a short-lived operation. However, he was Cody's first Wild West Show business partner. Clark & Brunet 250 say: "Carver was a frontiersman, but more importantly a showman of the first rank. His skill was real, and his reputation amongst great shooters remains." This photograph was part of Charles Bernard's photograph collection. Bernard, of Savannah, Georgia, was a former circus performer and traveling show agent, and in the 1920s and 30s he had a mail order business in old photographs of American circus groups. Some of the photos may not have been taken with his own camera, but he reproduced them in his own dark room, and sold them to circus fans and memorabilia collectors. Light crease to top corner edge, not affecting the image, and with light wear to photograph edges. A fine, bright image of an important western character.