A tintype photograph and love poem written by "Wild Bill" Hickok is valued in excess of $35,000 ahead of Heritage Auctions' Legends of the West sale in Dallas on June 14.
The lot dates to the mid to late 1800s and is among the rarest and most unusual pieces of memorabilia pertaining to Hickok to ever appear on the market.
It's likely to prove a significant draw to collectors on the day of the auction.
 Wild Bill Hickok is not known for his sensitive side, or his poetry |
The photograph shows Hickok looking faintly uncomfortable in a two-piece suit, while the poem reads: "Sadie Do I love thee go ask The flowers if they Love sweet refreshing Showers, Sadie."
While he was clearly no Shakespeare, the sentiment expressed shows another side to the gruff frontiersman.
The identity of "Sadie" remains a mystery although she is thought to have lived in Springfield, Missouri where the photograph was taken.
Tom Slater, director of historical auctions at Heritage, told Paul Fraser Collectibles: �ǣHickok letters and other signed items are extremely rare, with fewer than ten specimens ever having appeared at auction.
"The present example is particularly interesting in that it supports the popular perception of Wild Bill as someone who ���loved the ladies,��� and is accompanied by an almost equally rare original photograph this legendary Old West personality.���
Other lots in the sale include a bear claw necklace presented by the Lakota chief Sitting Bull to Buffalo Bill Cody, which carries an estimate of $12,000-18,000.
Sitting Bull travelled with Buffalo Bill's famous Wild West Show for a short time during the 1880s and became firm friends with the proprietor and Annie Oakley, whom he nicknamed "Little Sure Shot".
He presented each of them with a number of gifts, including the rare necklace - which was considered a mark of respect in Lakota culture.
The sale will also include a book of signatures from the town of Tombstone, Arizona - scene of the gunfight at the OK Corral.
We have this rare autographed note from Annie Oakley available.
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