This poster measures 19 inches wide and 24 inches tall (not including the frame). It depicts William "Buffalo Bill" Cody riding on horseback armed with a Winchester carbine and a Colt revolver and accompanied by a white eagle in an Old West scene. Buffalo Bill began using the longer title "Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World" for his show outside the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 after returning from touring Europe. He had recognized the opportunity for his show to be seen by millions over the course of the fair but was prevented from participating in the fair itself by the organizers who wanted him to give half of the ticket prices back to the fair. He defied them by simply setting up on 15 acres directly outside the fair and opened his show several weeks before the fair which angered the organizers. His profits reached $1 million and helped him establish Cody, Wyoming, and continue his show into the 20th century. Despite the ire of the fair organizers, the "Congress of Rough Riders" complimented the World's Fair in that it included representatives of horse cultures from around the world, even Mongols and Russian Cossacks. The show naturally remained most famous the dozens of other American and Indian showmen and women, including Annie Oakely, and their stories and reenactments of scenes from the American West. The Indian representatives were a particularly strong draw for audiences, and Cody ensured his former adversaries were given privileged positions. They paraded and entered the stadiums directly following Cody himself, and prior to his death in 1890, Sitting Bull was regularly seen at Cody's side and was introduced as his friend. The special effects and scale of the shows were unlike anything the world had seen. Any given show performed in cities across the U.S. and in Europe could include hundreds of horses, running battles, trick shooting, roping, story telling, wildlife (including bison, bears, and elk), and even a tornado created using a complex arrangement of high power fans. Most shows ended with Buffalo Bill and the cavalry coming to the aid of a family whose farmhouse was being besieged by Indian warriors. Matching Wild West show posters are on display as part of the Huntington Hartford Collection at the Gallery of Modern Art in New York City and The William F. Cody Archive at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. The Center of the West dated this "The White Eagle 'Col. W. F. Cody Buffalo Bill' Guiding and Guarding" poster design to 1893 and notes that it was published by A. Hoen & Co. in Baltimore, Maryland.

Very fine as professionally restored. The imagery and text remains clear. There is some crumpling, minor fading, and edge wear appropriate to its age upon close inspection. The frame is fine and has mild storage wear. This is a beautiful and rare piece that would perfectly accent your gun room or Americana collection.