Home » Bierstadt: William Jacob Hays, Champion of the Bison
William Jacob Hays (1830–1875). A HERD OF BISON CROSSING THE MISSOURI RIVER, 1863. Oil on canvas. Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, WY. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Trust Fund Purchase. 3.60

Bierstadt: William Jacob Hays, Champion of the Bison

William Jacob Hays, a friend of Bierstadt’s, was awestruck by the bison herds along the Missouri, and wrote, “On my way down the river I saw thousands of buffalo; they covered the bluff and prairie as far as we could see.” But on his journey west in 1860, Hays also recognized ominous warning signals for the great herds.

Upon his return to New York, Hays responded by creating a triptych of three large paintings to show the looming threat to the seemingly innumerable bison in the American West.

William Jacob Hays (1830-1875). A HERD OF BISON CROSSING THE MISSOURI RIVER, 1863. Oil on canvas. Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, WY. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Trust Fund Purchase. 3.60
William Jacob Hays (1830–1875). A HERD OF BISON CROSSING THE MISSOURI RIVER, 1863. Oil on canvas. Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, WY. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Trust Fund Purchase. 3.60
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Nancy McClure

Nancy now does Grants & Foundations Relations for the Center of the West's Development Department, but was formerly the Content Producer for the Center's Public Relations Department, where her work included writing and updating website content, publicizing events, copy editing, working with images, and producing the e-newsletter Western Wire. Her current job is seeking and applying for funding from government grants and private foundations. In her spare time, Nancy enjoys photography, reading, flower gardening, and playing the flute.

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