Sources

The primary sources linked below are part of The William F. Cody Archive, a scholarly digital papers project that offers an unequaled opportunity to see the historic evolution and idealization of the American West through the eyes of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. The Cody Archive presents an insightful perspective of America and the world spanning the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as represented by a variety of archival material: memoirs and autobiographies, correspondence, business records, published and unpublished writings, photographs, video and audio recordings, promotional and Wild West material, newspaper and magazine articles. The Archive aims to identify and make available as much of this material as possible, drawing on the resources of libraries and collections from around the United States and around the world.

A lecture given by Sandra K. Sagala on her book, Buffalo Bill on the Silver Screen,
February 21, 2014 at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.

Selected Bibliography

Anderson, Harry H. "General Charles King and Buffalo Bill's Silent Western Movies." Historical Messenger of the Milwaukee County Historical Society, 22, no 3 (September 1966): 93-98.

Collins, Theresa M. and Lisa Gitelman. Thomas Edison and Modern America: A Brief History with Documents. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002.

Creekmur, Corey K. "Buffalo Bill (Himself): History and Memory in the Western Biopic." In Janet Walker, ed., Westerns: Films through History. (New York, NY: American Film Institute, 2001): 131-147.

Jonnes, Jill. Eiffel's Tower: And the World's Fair where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, the Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison became a Count. New York, NY: Viking Penguin, 2009.

Kasson, Joy S. Buffalo Bill's Wild West: Celebrity, Memory, and Popular History. New York: Hill and Wang, 2000.

_______. "Life-Like, Vivid, and Thrilling Pictures: Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Early Cinema." In Janet Walker, ed., Westerns: Films through History. (New York, NY: American Film Institute, 2001): 109-130.

Kiehn, David. Broncho Billy and the Essanay Film Company. (Berkeley, CA: Farwell Books, 2003).

Paul, Andrea I. "Buffalo Bill and Wounded Knee: The Movie." Nebraska History 71 (Winter, 1990): 182-190.

Peterson, Nancy M. "Buffalo Bill, the Movie Maker." Empire Magazine (February 27, 1977): 26, 28-29, 31-33.

_______. "Buffalo Bill's Lost Legacy." American History (October, 2003): 51-67, 80.

Russell, Don. The Lives and Legends of Buffalo Bill. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1979.

_______. "Buffalo Bill -- In Action." Chicago Westerners Brand Book 19, no 5 (July, 1962): 33-35, 40.

Sagala, Sandra K. Buffalo Bill on the Silver Screen: The Films of William F. Cody. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2013.

Sarf, Wayne Michael. God Bless You, Buffalo Bill: A Layman's Guide to History and the Western Film. (East Brunswick, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1983).

Whissel, Kristen. "Placing the Spectator on the Scene of History: The Battle Re-enactment at the Turn of the Century, from Buffalo Bill's Wild West to the Early Cinema." Historical Journal of Film, Radio & Television 22:3 (Aug 2002): 225-243.

Films

[* current status, missing]

Seven Acts of Wild West Show (Edison, 1894):

Scene 1: Buffalo Bill rapid shooting (Edison, 1894).*

Scene 2: Sioux Ghost Dance (Edison, 1894).

Scene 3: Buffalo Bill and Last Horse war council (Edison, 1894).*

Scene 4: Buffalo Dance (Edison, 1894).

Scene 5: Vaqueros and Sheiks (Edison, 1894).*

Scene 6: Bucking Broncho (Edison, 1894).

Scene 7: Annie Oakley (Edison, 1894).

La Cirque Buffalo Bill: Peaux Rouges (Lumière, 1896).

Buffalo Bill and Escort (Edison, 1897).*

Parade of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, no. 1 (1898).*

Parade of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, no. 2 (1898).

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Parade (American Mutoscope and Biograph, 1901).

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show (Lubin, 1902).*

Buffalo Bill’s Street Parade (Lubin, 1903?).*

Buffalo Bill and Friends Visit Demaris Springs (Filmmaker Unknown, 1902).

Buffalo Bill’s Parade (Selig Polyscope, 1903).*

Footage shot in Philadelphia, PA during the week-long stay of BBWW (Filmmaker Unknown, 1907).*

Les Adventures de Buffalo Bill (Joe Hamman, 1909).*

Life of Buffalo Bill (Harry Davis and John P. Harris, Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill Film, 1910).*

Buffalo Bill’s Far West and Pawnee Bill’s Far East (Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill Film, 1910).*

Life of Buffalo Bill (Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill Film, 1912). [part 1] [part 2] [part 3]

The Indian Wars (Col. Wm. F. Cody Historical Pictures/Essanay, 1913).*

Patsy of the Circus (Bison/Universal Pictures, 1915).*

The Adventures of Buffalo Bill (Essanay, 1917).*

Correspondence

Letter from William F. Cody to Lindley Garrison (August 24, 1913).

Letter from William F. Cody to John H. Tait (August 25, 1913).

Telegram from the Department of the Interior to John R. Brennan (August 26, 1913).

Telegram from the Department of the Interior to Cato Sells (August 26, 1913).

Telegram from John R. Brennan to Franklin K. Lane (August 27, 1913).

Letter from Francis Belford-Wayne, for Frederick Gilmer Bonfils & William F. Cody, to Franklin Knight Lane (August 27, 1913).

Telegram from Cato Sells to Franklin K. Lane (August 27, 1913).

Telegram from Franklin K. Lane to Frederick Gilmer Bonfils (August 28, 1913).

Telegram from Franklin K. Lane to John R. Brennan (August 28, 1913).

Letter from Leonard Wood to Franklin K. Lane (August 29, 1913).

Letter from Andrieus Aristieus Jones to Lindley Miller Garrison [annotated copy] (September 9, 1913).

Letter from Andrieus Aristieus Jones to Lindley Miller Garrison [clean copy] (September 9, 1913).

Letter from William F. Cody to Clarence W. Rowley (September 24, 1913).

Letter from William F. Cody to Clarence W. Rowley (October 4, 1913).

Letter from William F. Cody to Clarence W. Rowley (November 4, 1913).

Letter from William F. Cody to John H. Tait (February 23, 1914).

Letter from William F. Cody to Clarence Buell and wife [1915].

Letter from Ezekiel Jarman Ayers to William F. Cody (December 18, 1915).

Letter from Ezekiel Jarman Ayers to William F. Cody (January 14, 1916).

Letter from William F. Cody to Ezekiel Jarman Ayers (January 27, 1916).

Letter from "D.C." to Ezekiel Jarman Ayers (January 28, 1916).

Letter from Ezekiel Jarman Ayers to William F. Cody (January 29, 1916).

Letter from William F. Cody to Ezekiel Jarman Ayers (February 1, 1916).

Letter from Ezekiel Jarman Ayers to Essanay Film Company (February 2, 1916).

Letter from Ezekiel Jarman Ayers to Essanay Film Company (March 7, 1916).

Letter from Vernon R. Day to Ezekiel Jarman Ayers (March 21, 1916).

Letter from Ezekiel Jarman Ayers to William F. Cody (March 23, 1916).

Letter from William F. Cody to Ezekiel Jarman Ayers (March 31, 1916).

Letter from William F. Cody to Franklin K. Lane (April 3, 1916).

Letter from Ezekiel Jarman Ayers to William F. Cody (April 6, 1916).

Legal Documents

Memoranda of Agreement with George K. Spoor. (September 8, 1913).

Annual Report, The Col. W. F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill") Historical Pictures Company, 1914. (February 26, 1914).

Annual Report, The Col. W. F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill") Historical Pictures Company, 1915. (February 26, 1915).

Annual Report, The Col. W. F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill") Historical Pictures Company, 1916. (March 1, 1916).

Annual Report, The Col. W. F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill") Historical Pictures Company, 1917. (April 30, 1917).

Annual Report, The Col. W. F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill") Historical Pictures Company, 1922. (September 25, 1922).

Search of copyright for "The Adventures of Buffalo Bill." (November 4, 1922).

Annual Report Certificate, The Col. W. F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill") Historical Pictures Company, (November 9, 1922).

Certificate: Domestic Corporation Failure to File Annual Reports, for the years 1918, 1919, 1920, and 1921. William F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill") Historical Pictures Company. (November 9, 1922).

Periodicals

"Biggest Moving Picture Ever Attempted." New York Times, May 25, 1900.

"The Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill Company." The Moving Picture World, June 18, 1910.

"Buffalo Bill Pictures Coming." The Moving Picture World, August 20, 1910.

"Untitled [Colonel Cody has certainly]." The Moving Picture World, September 10, 1910.

Advertisement: "Buffalo Bill's Farewell." The Moving Picture World, September 10, 1910.

"Untitled [Oh! Blow it!]." The Moving Picture World, September 10, 1910.

"Buffalo Bill Pictures." The Moving Picture World, September 10, 1910.

Advertisement: "Ladies and Gentlemen." The Moving Picture World, September 17, 1910.

"Untitled [P. P. Craft]." The Moving Picture World, September 17, 1910.

Advertisement: "Hurry Send Your Bid." The Moving Picture World, September 24, 1910.

Advertisement: "This is a Reproduction...." The Moving Picture World, November 5, 1910.

Advertisement: "Bills, Bills, Bills." The Moving Picture World, November 10, 1910.

"Buffalo Bill Pictures Draw." The Moving Picture World, November 26, 1910.

"The Indian and the Cowboy." The Moving Picture World, December 17, 1910.

Advertisement: "To Amusement Promoters At Large." The Moving Picture World, December 24, 1910.

"The Downfall of 'Buffalo Bill'." The Moving Picture World, December 24, 1910.

Advertisement: "Notice to Pennsylvania Exhibitors." The Moving Picture World, December 24, 1910.

Advertisement: "Please Observe." The Moving Picture World, December 31, 1910.

"Untitled [From a letter just received]." The Moving Picture World, January 14, 1911.

"Ready to Attack the Picture Shows." New York Times, January 28, 1911.

"Boston." The Moving Picture World, March 4, 1911.

"Los Angeles." The Moving Picture World, March 4, 1911.

"Buffalo Bill Negatives Not Destroyed." The Moving Picture World, July 1, 1911.

Advertisement: "Read This Letter." The Moving Picture World, May 4, 1912.

"Bonds for State Rights Owners." The Moving Picture World, May 4, 1912.

Advertisement: The Life of Buffalo Bill The Moving Picture World, May 4, 1912.

Advertisement: The Life of Buffalo Bill in 3 Reels The Moving Picture World, undated.

"Suit over Wild West Films." New York Times, May 30, 1912.

"Have Right to Buffalo Bill Pictures." The Moving Picture World, July 20, 1912.

"Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill Film Company to Sue Col. Cody and Maj. Lillie." The Moving Picture World, July 20, 1912.

"Canning the Wild West." Nebraska State Journal, ca. 1913.

"Life of Buffalo Bill Cleaning Up." The Moving Picture World, January 4, 1913.

Advertisement: Last Call for Life of Buffalo Bill The Moving Picture World, January 4, 1913.

"Film Promoters Sued." Oregonian (Portland), April 11, 1913.

"Buffalo Bill's Failure." New York Times, July 30, 1913.

"Wild West Now in Movies." Aberdeen (South Dakota) Daily News, August 22, 1913.

"Buffalo Bill to Live in Pictures." The Moving Picture World, September 6, 1913.

"Chicago Letter-On Buffalo Bill." The Moving Picture World, September 27, 1913.

"General Miles Will be an Actor for 'Movies.'" The Evening News (San Jose, CA), September 29, 1913.

"Gen. Miles To Ride as a Hero for the Movies." [Unidentified Newspaper], October 4, 1913.

"Chicago Letter-Historical Value of Buffalo Bill Series." The Moving Picture World, October 18, 1913.

"Chicago Letter-Battle of Pine Ridge made Realistic in Pictures." The Moving Picture World, October 25, 1913.

"Chicago Letter-Theodore Wharton's Big Job." The Moving Picture World, October 25, 1913.

"Reproduce Fight For Film." Fairplay (Colorado) Flume, November 7, 1913.

"Notes and Gleanings." New York Times November 9, 1913.

"Indian Griefs To Washington." The Duluth (Minnesota) News Tribune December 16, 1913.

"See Themselves in Battle." New York Times, January 22, 1914.

"Chicago Letter-Private Presentation of Buffalo Bill Pictures." The Moving Picture World, February 2, 1914.

"Indians Enraged at 'Movie' Battle Belittling Redskins." Semi-Weekly Boomerang (Laramie, Wyoming), February 9, 1914.

"View Indian Battles." Washington Post, February 27, 1914.

"Warriors Watch Old Battles with Indians." Washington Herald (D.C.), February 28, 1914.

"View Col. Cody's Films." Washington Post, February 28, 1914.

"Police Personals." Washington Post, March 1, 1914.

"Buffalo Bill Picture Shown." The Moving Picture World, March 14, 1914.

"Chicago Letter-Private Presentations in Washington of Buffalo Bill Pictures." The Moving Picture World, March 14, 1914.

"Big Films Fail To Make Connection." Laramie (Wyoming) Republican, March 26, 1914.

"McCune as Office Manager." Omaha (Nebraska) Daily News, March 27, 1914.

"Historic Indian Fights Are Filmed." The Columbus (Georgia) Enquirer-Sun, March 29, 1914.

"Amusements." The Duluth (Minnesota) News Tribune, May 11, 1914.

"Orpheum." The Duluth (Minnesota) News Tribune, May 15, 1914.

"Cody's Old Pard Adjectival on Coming Circus." The Idaho Daily Statesman, June 4, 1914.

Advertisement: "The Indian Wars." The Moving Picture World, August 15, 1914.

"Fake War Pictures Stir the East Side." New York Times, September 6, 1914.

"Buffalo Bill Historical Pictures." The Moving Picture World, September 12, 1914.

"Clune's Auditorium." Los Angeles Times, October 8, 1914.

Advertisement: "Indian Wars." The Emporia (Kansas) Gazette, November 30, 1914.

"Buffalo Bill in Universal Pictures." The Moving Picture World, May 5, 1915.

Image: "Buffalo Bill at Universal Pictures." The Moving Picture World, June 12, 1915.

"False Impression Given Italians of American Cities." Wilkes Barre (Pennsylvania) Times Leader, January 5, 1917.

"Canned Genius" Los Angeles Times, January 12, 1917.

"...A Cinema History of Buffalo Bill's Life Out Soon." The Kansas City (Missouri) Star, (January 21, 1917).

"Col. Wm. F. Cody in Historic Pictures." The Moving Picture World, January 27, 1917.

"The Buffalo Bill Show." The Moving Picture World, January 27, 1917.

"To Put Out Buffalo Bill Film." The Moving Picture World, January 27, 1917.

"Buffalo Bill On Screen In Indian Fights." Rochester (New York) Democrat And Chronicle, January 28, 1917.

"New Name For Essanay Bill Picture." The Moving Picture World, February 3, 1917.

Advertisement: "Adventures of Buffalo Bill." Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram, (February 4, 1917).

"Favorite Stars in Big Plays Featured in Bills of Week." Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram, (February 4, 1917).

Advertisement: "Buffalo Bill's Pictures Are Being Shown in the City Today and Tomorrow." Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram, (February 5, 1917).

"K-E-S-E Inc. Adventures of Buffalo Bill." The Moving Picture World, February 10, 1917.

Advertisement: "The Adventures of Buffalo Bill." The Columbus (Georgia) Daily Enquirer, February 11, 1917.

Advertisement: "The Adventures of Buffalo Bill." The Columbus (Georgia) Ledger, February 11, 1917.

"Adventures of Buffalo Bill.">/a> Current Opinion, March 1917.

"The Theaters." The Lexington (Kentucky) Herald, March 10, 1917.

"At the Movies." Morning Olympian (Olympia, Washington), March 29, 1917.

Advertisement: "The Adventures of Buffalo Bill." The Wyoming Tribune, May 24, 1917.

"Untitled [The body of Col. "Buffalo Bill" Cody]." The Moving Picture World, June 30, 1917.

"Picture Plays and People." New York Times, December 10, 1922.

"Buffalo Bill's Life Will be Made into Film." Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1925.

"Buffalo Bill in Films." New York Times, June 22, 1925.