Martha "Calamity Jane" Canary: A Rare Cabinet Photo....

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Martha "Calamity Jane" Canary: A Rare Cabinet Photo. One of the most fascinating and collectable figures of the Old West, she found there the freedom to live the unconventional lifestyle which would have been all but impossible in more "civilized" environs. Masquerading as a man, she secured employment as a mule skinner, and by the time her sex was discovered she had proven herself so thoroughly that she was allowed to retain her job. But she is perhaps best remembered for her association with Wild Bill Hickok. Calamity arrived in Deadwood, South Dakota in 1876. Hickok was at that time the impresario of an informal troop which demonstrated Western skills such as riding and shooting to an appreciative public. Her buckskin-clad persona was a natural fit for the show, and for five weeks she would live the life of a performer. Hickok was gunned down on August 2, 1876, but Calamity had developed such affection for Wild Bill that she mourned him demonstrably and declared that she wished to be buried beside him when her time came. Her wish would be granted 27 years later, and modern-day tourists flock to see the two graves in Deadwood. We offer a cabinet photo (3.5" x 5" on a 5.5" x 6.5" mount) of the Western legend, identified in the negative as: "Calamity Jane, Gen. Crook's Scout. Copyrighted by H. R. Locke, 1895." The condition is excellent.