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The Buffalo Times on September 7, 1919, noted “The
days of the famous Buffalo Bill Shows are recalled by
the appearance of Colonel Lenders (Buffalo Jack) and
Princess Wenona, world’s champion lady crack shot.
In this wild west exhibition cowboys bring to light
fancy and trick riding upon horses, rope spinning,
revolver and rifle shooting, lassoing, and in fact the
sports of the early frontier days.” The couple briefly
lived together on the Thunderbird Ranch on land
mortgaged to them by the 101 Ranch Trust until they
separated around 1926.
Like many western legends, Lenders was not born
and raised in the West in. In fact, he was born in
London and grew up and studied art in Germany.
His fascination with Native Americans and the allure
of the American West drew him across the Pacific in
1906, and he lived in Philadelphia. By 1910, he had
already formed a noteworthy collection of Native
American artifacts from his travels. The collection
was purchased by J. P. Morgan and donated to the
American Museum of Natural History. Other pieces
from his collection are now in the Smithsonian. He
became a friend of Buffalo Bill Cody, Pawnee Bill, and
the Miller Bros and worked as a performer in their Wild
West shows and also appeared in at least one of the
Miller Bros. films. In 1911, he is noted as having been
one of the participants in a buffalo hunt with Buffalo
Bill, the Miller Bros., Major John M. Burke, and others.
Like Buffalo Bill and other western characters, he
sported long flowing hair. Michael Wallis in “The Real
Wild West” indicated Lenders found a home at the 101
Ranch where he drew inspiration for his art from the
cowboys and cowgirls of the ranch, the nearby Indian
tribes, and the bison, cattle, horses, and game of the
West. His real life experiences as a working cowboy,
bronco buster, and showman give authenticity to his
works, and he painted absolutely breathtaking scenes
of cowboys, horses, buffalo, various animals, and
Indians. His works can be found in notable museums,
including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and
the National Museum of Wildlife Art.
CONDITION: Excellent plus, retains 99% original nickel
finish, with only the slightest handling marks and a
very faint cylinder drag line. The pearl grips are very
fine, with highly attractive fiery colors, a divot on the
lower right side that appears to be the natural shape
of the pearl, with a few minor nicks at the corners, and
tight fitment. Mechanically excellent. This extremely
rare, spectacular factory smoothbore Colt Single
Action Army revolver with ties to prominent western
figures would be a grand addition in any advanced
Colt or western arms collection!
Provenance: Wild West Showman and Artist Emil
W. Lenders; The Gateway Collection.
Estimate: 100,000 - 180,000
"Buffalo Scene" by Emil W. Lenders (1922)