A hat made by Stetson for Lyndon B Johnson
Reuters/Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Thousands of Wild West artifacts, collected by a former mayor for a museum that never materialised, will be auctioned off this week by the capital city of Pennsylvania to help pay down more than $300mn in debt.
The long-awaited auction is part of Harrisburg’s efforts to recoup some of the city funds spent by former Mayor Stephen Reed to acquire the rare artifacts for a tourist-drawing Wild West museum. Featuring items ranging from the very valuable to knick-knacks, it is scheduled to start today and continue through the week.
Arlan Ettinger, president of Guernsey’s auction house in New York City, said the sale was the largest of its kind. “I’ve said it a few times, that it’s the largest auction of Wild West items ever, and no one has challenged me on it,” he said. “So we’re sticking with it.”
Joanne Grant, the auctioneer who catalogued each item, said about 6,700 people had signed up to bid online (www.proxibid.com). By today, she said, that number could be as high as 10,000. That does not include people who will be at the live auction at Harrisburg’s City Island from Monday through July 21.
Bidders will see a warehouse packed to the rafters with vintage Wild West artifacts and other items related to the 19th Century conquest of the American West and figures like Buffalo Bill Cody, Wyatt Earp, Jesse James and Doc Holliday.
There also are artifacts from Native American tribes, a collection of pieces relating to the Battle of Little Big Horn and more than 500 vintage firearms, as well as a Stetson hat belonging to former President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Other historical items to go on the block include Teddy Roosevelt’s three-barrelled rifle, hand-written notes from George Washington and John Hancock and the uniform worn by General George Patton in World War Two.
Arnold Duke, owner of the Ruidoso River Museum in Ruidoso, New Mexico, flew to Pennsylvania for last week’s public preview and was flabbergasted at the selection.