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Catalog Data

Photographer:
Foster, L. F.  Search this
Collector:
Foster, L. F.  Search this
Names:
101 Ranch Wild West Show  Search this
Buffalo Bill, 1846-1917  Search this
Pawnee Bill  Search this
Extent:
2 Cubic feet (5 boxes)
Culture:
Indians of North America -- 1890-1920  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Albums
Bills
Clippings
Photographs
Date:
1888-1921
Summary:
Collection documents Wild West Shows in Oklahoma and Washington, particularly the career of Lewis Frederick Foster who was known for his showmanship and skills.
Scope and Contents:
Consists of two scrapbook albums documenting the career of Lewis Frederick Foster. Materials also relate to western shows, rodeos, Buffalo Bill Cody, Pawnee Bill, and the 101 Ranch Wild West Show. Many other individual showmen, including American Indians, are also represented. Information in the collection indicates that Foster was an amateur photographer. It is unclear if the photographs are the work of Foster or if he assembled the album himself.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Lewis Frederick Foster was born in Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts to James Foster and Elizabeth T. Frederick on September 19, 1861. He married Leona [Rosamond] Stockman on September 30, 1890 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Fosters had one daughter Leona Rosamond born in 1897. Foster performed on horseback in shows across the West including the Wild West Show in Oklahoma, the Frontier Show in Cheyenne, Washington, and the 101 Ranch Wild West Show. He was known as a 'Rough and Fancy Rider' and a 'Revolver Expert'. Foster died on March 4, 1924 at the age of sixty- two in Modesto, Stanislaus County, California and is buried in Acacia Memorial Park.
Related Materials:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History Archives Center Wild West Collection, NMAH.AC.1466 Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, NMAH.AC.0060 Sonora Carver Papers, NMAH.AC0.521
Provenance:
Donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1933 by Foster's sister, Louise T. Foster, and his brother, John H. Foster.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Cowboys  Search this
Cowgirls  Search this
Western shows  Search this
Rodeos  Search this
Genre/Form:
Albums
Bills
Clippings
Photographs -- 1890-1910 -- Black-and-white photoprints
Citation:
L.F. Foster Wild West Scrapbooks, Photographs, and Copy Negatives, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1289
See more items in:
L. F. Foster Wild West Scrapbooks, Photographs, and Copy Negatives
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep87c3e31c2-f071-4c3c-9993-ec9b747a6d27
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1289