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ANNIE OAKLEY Signed Personal Owned Book titled, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:2,400.00 USD Estimated At:3,500.00 - 4,500.00 USD
ANNIE OAKLEY Signed Personal Owned Book titled, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Autographs
“Property of Annie Oakley, Nutley, N.J." Signed Book titled “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” / Oakley's Personal Library
ANNIE OAKLEY (1860-1926). Legendary Markswoman; Starred in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.
1904-Publishing Date, Hardcover Book Signed, “Property of Annie Oakley, Nutley, N.J." on inside front cover in black ink, Choice Very Fine. This popular book is from Annie Oakley's personal library titled, “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” by Kate Douglas Wiggin, published by “Houghton, Mifflin and Company, The Riverside Press, Cambridge / 1904”. Annie’s niece, Irene Patterson, has also signed on the following front page. Provenance: Book comes directly from decendants, and a copy of a letter of provenance is included.
At a March 1884 performance in St. Paul, Minnesota, Annie befriended the Lakota leader Sitting Bull. The victor over George Armstrong Custer at the 1876 Battle of Little Big Horn, Sitting Bull was impressed with Oakley’s shooting, her modest appearance, and her self-assured manner. Although Sitting Bull was still a political prisoner at Fort Yates, he was in town for an appearance, and had arranged to meet Oakley. They became fast friends. It was Sitting Bull who dubbed her “Little Sure Shot.”

In 1884, the Butlers joined the Sells Brothers Circus as “champion rifle shots,” but only stayed with the circus for one season. After a brief period on their own, Butler and Oakley joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West in 1885. This was a significant turning point in Annie Oakley’s life and in her relationship with Butler. Until this time either Butler had received top billing or they had shared the limelight. However, with the Wild West, Oakley was the star. It was her name on the advertising posters as “Champion Markswoman.” Butler happily accepted the position as her manager and assistant. Oakley and Butler prospered with the Wild West and remained with the show for seventeen years.

In 1887, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West toured England to join in the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. When the show opened that May, Oakley was the subject of considerable press due to her shooting skills and presence. This tour also helped Oakley increase her growing collection of shooting medals, awards, and trophies.

When the Wild West returned to Europe in 1889, Oakley had become a seasoned performer and earned star billing. The troupe stayed in Paris for a six-month exhibition, and then traveled to other regions of France, Italy, and Spain. Oakley proved especially popular with women, and Buffalo Bill made the most of her fame to demonstrate that shooting was neither detrimental, nor too intense for women and children.

Oakley and Butler’s desire for less extensive traveling, as well as a serious train accident that injured her back, caused them to leave the show in 1901. However, she continued to perform and eventually joined another wild west show, “The Young Buffalo Show,” in 1911. During this period, Butler signed a contract as a representative for the Union Metallic Cartridge Company in Connecticut. This was a position that allowed both Butler and Oakley to make endorsements for the company and to continue their shooting exhibitions. Finally, in 1913, the couple retired from the arena and settled down in Cambridge, Maryland.