CLEARWATER, Fla. – On March 18, 2023, Blackwell Auctions will offer several items personally owned by Annie Oakley, including an engraved carriage clock gifted to her for her birthday during her European tour in 1901. Several other items will also be offered, including 16 books that were owned – and, in some cases, signed – by Oakley, including a book inscribed to her husband by the author, bandleader John Philip Sousa. The collection also boasts a personal check, signed by Oakley shortly before her death, made out to her niece.
All articles come with provenance from a descendant of Oakley, who became a global celebrity from her astonishing performances in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show
“Annie Oakley is a veritable icon of the American West,” said Edwin Bailey of Blackwell Auctions. “She earned the nickname ‘Little Sure Shot’ from none other than the legendary Sitting Bull. It’s such a privilege to handle these historic treasures obtained directly from her descendants.”
According to the letter of provenance (written by a direct descendant of Oakley’s niece, Irene Patterson Black), the carriage clock was gifted to Oakley in 1887 for her birthday while she was in London as part of the Wild West Show. A biography of Oakley mentions a clock as being among the more than five dozen gifts she received. As well, the family’s history maintains that this clock was with her in 1901 when she was involved in the train disaster that injured her badly.
The March auction, titled The American Sale, will also feature a large collection of important historical American documents with a timeline from 1650 to the mid-20th century. The selection includes pieces signed by Abraham Lincoln, William Henry Harrison, Mark Twain, Robert E. Lee, Charles Lindbergh, and more than 50 significant military and political figures.
Additionally, there are handwritten pieces from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War. Other items include an 1890 painting of Lakota Sioux leader Sitting Bull by Caroline Weldon. The sale features dozens of 19th-century firearms by Colt, Remington, Smith & Wesson and other legendary gunmakers. A selection of tintypes, daguerreotypes, CDVs and cabinet cards of historical figures, including Native Americans and Civil War soldiers, will also be presented.
“Serious collectors of American history will be delighted when the auction goes online in late February,” Bailey said. “The vast majority of the items in this sale haven’t changed hands in generations.”
For additional information, contact Edwin Bailey at Blackwell Auctions, 727-546-0200. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers. A catalog will post in the near future.
# # #
