Treasures from Our West: Saddle

Originally published in Points West magazine in Spring 2008

Saddle made for William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody

This western saddle was made for William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody about 1893 by Collins and Morrison of Omaha, Nebraska. There are at least four variations of this saddle in existence. This particular saddle appears in the last photograph of Buffalo Bill taken at his TE Ranch located southwest of Cody. Across the back of the cantle is inscribed “Hon. W.F. Cody.”

The hand-tooled saddle—one of the images is Buffalo Bill standing and holding a rifle—is shown here with decorative angora saddle bags, a braided leather bridle with a six-shooter bit made for Cody by a prisoner in the Colorado State Penitentiary, and beaded buckskin gauntlets.

Saddle, ca. 1893, William Cody Boal Collection, 1.69.45
Bridle and bit, ca. 1915, Mary Jester Allen Collection, 1.69.44A & B
Gauntlets, ca. 1885, Gift of Mrs. S.W. Harding, 1.69.2661
Saddle bags, ca. 1910, William Cody Boal Collection, 1.69.2639

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