This Photograph was the personal property of Buffalo Bill Cody and descended directly in the Cody family to his great-granddaughter Patricia Ann "Patsy" Garlow - granddaughter of Cody's daughter Irma. It was taken Manitou, Colorado photographer Paul Goerke & Son for the Cody / Garlow family and was not published or commercially produced

    This fascinating, Personal, Buffalo Bill Cody Family Photograph measures approx. 4 1/2" by 7 1/2" and is mounted on its original photographer's card mount (overall size approx. 6" by 7"). It pictures from left to right Cody Boal, Fed Garlow Sr. and Irma Cody Garlow seated on burros in front of the iconic “Balanced Rock” near the southern entrance of the Garden of the Gods. Fred Garlow holds his baby son Fred Jr. and Jane Garlow sits in her mother Irma’s lap.

    A manuscript inscription on the back of the mount (likely in the hand of Jane Garlow) reads “Property of Jane, Fred & Bill Garlow” along with another earlier manuscript notation (believed to be in the hand of Bill Cody’s wife Louisa) that reads “Cody Boal, Irma & Fred Sr. w/ Jane and Fred”.

    While the Photograph is not dated, Fred Garlow Jr. was born in 1911 and Jane Garlow was born in 1909. In this Photograph Fred is still a baby and Jane appears to be about 4 years old.

    The following is from the obituary of Cody Boal: “William Cody Boal, age 65, of 110 Chuckanut Dr., passed away in a local hospital, Wednesday, Feb. 7, (1962). Mr. Boal had resided in this community for the past 41 years; was a grandson of Buffalo Bill Cody and as a boy was a stunt rider with Buffalo Bill's Circus. Mr. Boal served in World War I, having enlisted as a private and worked his way up from the ranks to a commission. He was called back into active duty just prior to World War II where he served with the U.S.A.F., and after the war was retired as a major. For eight years Mr. and Mrs. Boal operated a gift shop and museum in North Platte, Neb., which was centered around Buffalo Bill. For the past few years, Mr. Boal had been taking care of the accounting for his daughter and son-in-law. He was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church; Reserve Officers Association; Albert J. Hamilton Post No. 7, American Legion and a member of the Black Horse Troop of the Culver Military Academy.”

    Provenance: This fantastic, Card Mount Photograph descended directly in the family of Irma Louise Cody Garlow, Buffalo Bill Cody's last surviving child. Buffalo Bill and his wife Louisa Frederici Cody (1843-1921) had four children but only their two daughters - Arta (1866-1904) and the baby Irma (1883-1918) lived to adulthood. Irma married Frederick Harrison Garlow Sr. (1880-1918) (her second husband) and had 3 children - Frederick Harrison Garlow Jr. (1911-1985); William Joseph Garlow (changed name to Cody) (1913-1992) and Jane Cody Garlow (1909-1987). When Irma and Fred Garlow Sr. died within three days of each other during the influenza pandemic of 1918, the three young children were cared for by their Grandmother Louisa, wife of Buffalo Bill Cody. Fred Garlow Jr. married Margaret Southerland and they had two children Patricia Ann (b.1948) and Mark Frederick (b. 1952). The Photograph offered here was the property of Patricia Ann "Patsy" Garlow, Buffalo Bill's direct great-granddaughter. It was the property of the Cody-Garlow family and was likely, originally the property of William F. “Buffalo Bill" Cody. This Photograph spent most of the last half of the 20th century on loan to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center of the West and bears a BBHC index number on the verso.

    This exceptionally rare and simply fantastic, ca1913 Card Mount Photograph is in excellent condition. The Photograph itself is crisp and clean exhibiting sharp focus, strong contrast and rich, warm tonality. The card mount is also very well preserved with some very light edge wear only.

    An exceptionally rare and original, ca1913 Oversize Cabinet Card Photograph of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody's daughter Irma Cody with her husband Fred Garlow Sr. and Bill’s three grandchildren Fred and Jane Garlow and Cody Boal (who preformed as a stunt rider with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and who was later known as “Buffalo Bill 2nd”) posed before Balanced Rock in the Garden of the Gods, Colorado – a personal, family Photograph descended directly from Cody's daughter Irma in the Cody-Garlow Family - and a fantastic addition to any collection!!

    Be sure to check out this seller’s other auctions for a number of other 19th and early 20th century, Western Americana and Native American Photographs (including other items from the Cody-Garlow estate) which are also being offered for sale this week on eBay!!