North American Auction Company
Live Auction

Western Antique Auction September 11th 2021

Sat, Sep 11, 2021 11:00AM EDT
Lot 456

Custer's Last Stand Film Poster & Broadside c.1912

Estimate: $300 - $600

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
For your consideration is a rare “Custer's Last Fight” production poster and broadside, circa 1912. The production poster is a large, yellow print with a black letter indication that reads, "Coming Soon! Custer's Last Fight / A Thos. Ince Special Production" and, in small black letters at the bottom center, "Central Show Print / Mason City Iowa". Thomas Harper Ince (November 16, 1880 – November 19, 1924) was an American silent film producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. Ince was known as the "Father of the Western" and was responsible for making over 800 films. He revolutionized the motion picture industry by creating the first major Hollywood studio facility and invented movie production by introducing the "assembly line" system of film making. He was the first mogul to build his own film studio, dubbed "Inceville", in Palisades Highlands. Ince was also instrumental in developing the role of the producer in motion pictures. His “Custer's Last Fight” (1912) production was one of his most successful and one of his first. The broadside is printed on a faded red paper, showing details of the Thomas Ince production and the historical characters portrayed in the film. The accompanying ephemera includes a Western Feature Film Co. preview of the film. The document explains Sitting Bull's Sun Dance following his final showdown with the U.S. Army. These pieces are in excellent condition, considering their age; the yellow poster shows a few tears, as shown in the photographs. The measurements of the film poster are 44" x 28" and the broadside posters measure 22" x 8"; the film ephemera measures 6 1/4" x 9 1/2" and 7 3/4" x 8 1/2".