North American Auction Company
Live Auction

Timeless Treasures: 19th C. Native, Western Photographs & French Elegance

Sat, Sep 13, 2025 11:00AM EDT
  2025-09-13 11:00:00 2025-09-13 11:00:00 America/New_York North American Auction Company North American Auction Company : Timeless Treasures: 19th C. Native, Western Photographs & French Elegance https://live.naabid.com/auctions/north-american-auction/timeless-treasures-19th-c-native-western-photographs-french-elegance-20467
Join us Saturday, September 13th at 9am MT in Bozeman, MT for Timeless Treasures: 19th C. Native, Western Photographs & French Elegance. This exceptional auction features a remarkable collection of 19th-century Native American artifacts, rare Western photography by Haynes, Huffman, and other Montana photographers, and an impressive selection of 18th-century French furniture. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to acquire historic and elegant treasures. Browse the full catalog at live.naabid.com
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Lot 149

H.R. Locke 1895 Custer Battlefield Grave Markers

Estimate: $1,400 - $2,400
Starting Bid
$450

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
Featured in this lot is this mammoth boudoir card called "No.7 Custer's Battlefield on Crow Agency, Montana, along the B. & M. R. R. Battle fought June 25th, 1876" circa 1895 by H.R. Locke (1867-1927). Provenance: From an Ex-Museum collection out of Eastern Montana; Ex-Heritage Auction; and ex-J.T. Gillmore Deadwood, South Dakota collection. The photograph shows the Custer Battlefield marked with grave markers with a tiny ravine a unique and very desirable photograph from the Battlefield proper. The front of the boudoir card is marked as follows: No.7 Custer's Battlefield on Crow Agency, along the B. & M. R. R. Battle, fought June 25th, 1876. Custer and all his men were killed. Photographed and copyrighted by H.R. Locke, in 1895 Deadwood, S.D. On verso, an interesting printed advertisement for the Burlington Rail line, in part: "The New Short Line to Montana and the Pacific Northwest - Reaches every Health Resort and Mining Camp in the Black Hills. Passes within full view of Custer Battlefield..." Fort Custer was built near the Agency the same year. The Plains line of the B & M Railroad was built west along the Platte River from Kearney, Nebraska, during the 1880s. A northern spur route reached Sheridan, Wyoming, in 1893. During 1894-95 it was extended past Crow Agency to Billings, Montana, in the Yellowstone River valley. H. R. Locke was hired to make promotional photographs along the route. The back bears the “J.T. GILLMORE Deadwood, Sa. Dak.” stamp, which has been documented on several H.R. Locke images, including the images in this auction as well as images in the Yale University Library collection. This is believed to be James T. Gillmore (born August 4, 1841) who was the owner and manager of the Gillmore Hotel at Deadwood, South Dakota Territory as well as having holdings in the Montezuma and the Whizzer mines. The condition of this mammoth boudoir card is well preserved with some creasing and breaks to the corners and browning to the card but otherwise shows a well preserved overall condition. The measurements of this mammoth boudoir card is 8 x 9 3/4". The collective weight of this U4oz.

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