Wild Bill Hickok Deck?

[Aoresteen]

Hello!  First post here!

I'm trying to find out what deck of cards that was used when Wild Bill Hickok was killed.  The only refference I can find is that it was a deck of "Bulldog Squeezers".

Wild Bill was killed Aug 2, 1876.  Fromw what I can find the Bulldog Squeezers were introduced in 1877, AFTER Wild Bill was killed.

Does anyone know what type deck of cards that was being used when Wild Bill was killed?

[Don Boyer]

It's possible that a different "Squeezers" deck was used - and impossible that it was Bulldog Squeezers, for the exact reason you deduced.

There were other decks with the "Squeezers" brand on them over the years - it's possible that one of those was the deck in question and not the Bulldog Squeezers.

[Aoresteen]

Thanks!

Here's the reference I was refering to:

"The Adams Museum in Deadwood has a display that claims to be the actual Bulldog Squeezers Playing Cards held by Hickok (ace of diamonds, ace of clubs, eight of hearts, eight of spades, and the queen of hearts)"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_man%27s_hand

I called the Adams museum but theay are closed on Mondays.  I'll try later on in the week.

[52plusjoker]

I'd take their claim that they have the original cards with a grain of salt!! The first Squeezers came out around 1870. The issue date of the cards with the two dogs [pretty weak rendition of bulldogs] representing Squeezers and Triplicates was indeed 1877. Possibly there was a Squeezer deck out earlier with a Bulldog in the back design - I've never seen it and I think I've seen most of the early Squeezer backs. Maybe Kalush can help!

[Aoresteen]

I called the Adams Museum today and the lady said that she would look at the cards that they have and would get back to me in a week.

[52plusjoker]

look forward to getting that info.

[Aoresteen]

I just heard back from the Adams Musemum in Deadwood.  They sent me photos of the back and the front of the 8 of hearts.

Back:


Front:


Clearly these are not Squeezers.  So does anyone recognize the back pattern?  Do they date to 1876?

[HeartQ]

I just heard back from the Adams Musemum in Deadwood.  They sent me photos of the back and the front of the 8 of hearts.

Back:


Front:


Clearly these are not Squeezers.  So does anyone recognize the back pattern?  Do they date to 1876?

[HeartQ]

Yes, this period deck could certainly be the right one. However the Ace of Spades would no doubt tell you what you want to know as it generally gives you the name of the manufacturer. However if it happened to be a cheating deck the Ace of Spades would probably be a generic one so try to get a scan of it. Intriquing!

[Aoresteen]

The Adams Museum has the ace of diamonds, ace of clubs, eight of hearts, eight of spades, and the queen of hearts.   They do not have the ace of spades.  So which manufacturer had the blue with circles back design?

[52plusjoker]

It's a familiar back. Likely a Dougherty or NYCC deck [or one of the founding NYCC firms - Samuel Hart or Lawrence & Cohen].

If you have a scan of the Queen it will help and may allow a definitive identification.

[Aoresteen]

Ok, I will try to get a scan/pic of the queen.

[Yashi]

I tried to do some digging (not that I'm an expert in vintage things) and found this.


Got the image from this site: http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/1008941

[52plusjoker]

Likely Samuel Hart then [although some makers tended to copy others]

[Don Boyer]

Likely Samuel Hart then [although some makers tended to copy others]

I did notice on the card from the museum that the edge was cut slightly crooked - could it have been a stripper deck, I wonder?  Or at the very least, a one-way back design?

[athomas16]

I tried to do some digging (not that I'm an expert in vintage things) and found this.


Got the image from this site: http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/1008941

It looked like Samuel Hart to me too, but those rounded corners?

[Don Boyer]

I tried to do some digging (not that I'm an expert in vintage things) and found this.


Got the image from this site: http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/1008941

It looked like Samuel Hart to me too, but those rounded corners?

Rounded?  More likely just worn.  They don't look terribly rounded.

For all we know, these could even be reprint cards - didn't someone release a Hart deck reprint at some time?  Since the museum was incorrect on what deck these came from, I wouldn't consider it impossible that they'd be incorrect about these being the actual cards handled by Will Bill in his last-ever poker hand.

I checked the replica decks offered bu US Games Systems - no match.  The models they offer are reprints of a Dougherty deck and an L.I. Cohen deck, with the originals having been printed during the Civil War, over a decade before WIll Bill's death.

I would say that it's possible that the cards are authentic playing cards of the era, but the likelihood of them being the precise cards held in that infamous game are pretty slim.

[52plusjoker]

This deck looks authentic - NY42 in Hochman. It was made as a Faro deck [pictured] with one way courts, and as a Poker deck with two courts.

[Angeldancer]

Y'all are doing great work on trying to find "the" deck that Wild Bill Hickok was holding when he shot and killed in Deadwood.  I would like add my two cents to this string.  As mentioned earlier, Bill was killed in August 1876 in the Deadwood camp in Tom Nuttall's #10 Saloon.  According to the extra footage on the HBO Deadwood complete DVD series, the entire Deadwood camp burned to the ground in 1877, including the chair that he was sitting in when he was killed.  The camp did have a very heavy water pump wagon, but because it was so heavy and cumbersome to use, it was left behind and burned as well.  I speculate the original cards / deck he was holding / playing with burned up in the fire of 1877, unless they were on the person of Calamity Jane of Tom Nuttall as they left the camp and the fire.  That's a possibility.  I believe it is going to be very hard to find the actual deck Wild Bill had in his hand when he was killed.  Would be an awesome find, if we can find it, but I would classify it as ultra extremely rare, based on the fire that wiped out the entire camp.

[52plusjoker]

Good info there - it would be extremely difficult to authenticate it as well!

[athomas16]

I tried to do some digging (not that I'm an expert in vintage things) and found this.


Got the image from this site: http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/1008941

It looked like Samuel Hart to me too, but those rounded corners?

Rounded?  More likely just worn.  They don't look terribly rounded.

For all we know, these could even be reprint cards - didn't someone release a Hart deck reprint at some time?  Since the museum was incorrect on what deck these came from, I wouldn't consider it impossible that they'd be incorrect about these being the actual cards handled by Will Bill in his last-ever poker hand.

I checked the replica decks offered bu US Games Systems - no match.  The models they offer are reprints of a Dougherty deck and an L.I. Cohen deck, with the originals having been printed during the Civil War, over a decade before WIll Bill's death.

I would say that it's possible that the cards are authentic playing cards of the era, but the likelihood of them being the precise cards held in that infamous game are pretty slim.

Yeah, I think you're right.  The wear is fairly uniform, but probably wear.

[athomas16]

I just heard back from the Adams Musemum in Deadwood.  They sent me photos of the back and the front of the 8 of hearts.

Back:


Front:


Clearly these are not Squeezers.  So does anyone recognize the back pattern?  Do they date to 1876?

Upon reviewing this thread, I realize that I probably quoted the wrong post when talking about rounded corners.  The 8H picture that the museum provided has a very similar back to my Samuel Hart Deck, but mine has perfectly square corners. 

I have a friend who wanted to make a Wild Bill Display and this thread reminded me that he needed a deck of cards to commemorate how he was killed.  I went over today to present him with a deck.  Below is the deck, pictured with a Colt 4440 and holster.  The knife I believe is also period.

I believe we reproduced the hand exactly as it was described by the museum.  Check it out:

[Don Boyer]

You have a pretty sharp set of authentic props for the display.  We may never have hard evidence of the exact deck used and the exact cards held, but what the museum (and you) have presented are at least plausible.

[athomas16]

You have a pretty sharp set of authentic props for the display.  We may never have hard evidence of the exact deck used and the exact cards held, but what the museum (and you) have presented are at least plausible.

Thank you, but none of that stuff is mine.  Heck, after today, I don't even own the cards.  That pistol was manufactured in 1881, clearly after Wild Bills' death, but I don't think Charlie is even pretending to be authentic.  Rather his display is "in the style of" and I think that deck of cards is perfect and will really tie it all together.

[Aoresteen]

I got the photos of the Queen of Hearts from the Adams museum:





Does this help at all?

Thanks!