North American Auction Company
Live Auction

Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Auction: The Earp Brothers & Cowboys

Sat, Jul 26, 2025 11:00AM EDT
  2025-07-26 11:00:00 2025-07-26 11:00:00 America/New_York North American Auction Company North American Auction Company : Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Auction: The Earp Brothers & Cowboys https://live.naabid.com/auctions/north-american-auction/tombstone-western-heritage-museum-auction-the-earp-brothers-cowboys-20021
Join North American Auction Company on July 26th for a once-in-a-lifetime auction of the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Collection. This extraordinary sale features the largest private collection of Tombstone history, including rare and historic pieces tied to Wyatt Earp, the Earp Brothers, and the infamous Cochise Cowboys. From original artifacts, outlaw relics, and the largest collection of C.S. Fly photographs, this is a can’t-miss event for collectors of the Old West’s most legendary chapter.
North American Auction Company tucker@naabid.com
Lot 442

Joe Bignon (1840-1925) Cabinet Card & Signed Check

Estimate: $750 - $950
Starting Bid
$250

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 cabinet card and signed check by Tombstone famous citizen Joe Bignon born in 1840 and died in 1925; Provenance: From the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum in Tombstone, Arizona. This cabinet card shows a side-by-side Imperial cabinet card with two portraits of Joe Bignon in dress attire and is marked on the back as follows: Elite Photographic Studio - (HAND SIGNED) Property of C.L Blackburn Tombstone. The cabinet card comes complete with an original museum tag that reads as follows: Joe Bignon photo was the property of C.L Blackburn of Tombstone. The check is a Cochise County Bank- paid to "Bearer" to the sumn of $500.00 and hand signed by Joe Bignon. Joseph W. "Joe" Bignon was a notable figure in Tombstone, Arizona's history, particularly recognized for his association with the Bird Cage Theatre. Born in French Canada in 1840, Bignon immigrated to the United States in 1876. In 1879, Bignon arrived in Tombstone and initially operated the Theater Comique. Later, he acquired the Bird Cage Theatre from its original owners, Lottie and William Hutchinson, and reopened it in 1886. Under his management, the theater became a prominent entertainment venue, featuring a variety of acts including ventriloquists, magicians, and trapeze artists. The Bird Cage Theatre remains a significant landmark in Tombstone, reflecting the vibrant and often tumultuous history of the American West.? Charles William Blackburn, often referred to as C.W. Blackburn, was a notable pioneer in Cochise County, Arizona. Born in 1844, he played a significant role in the early development of Tombstone. Blackburn passed away on September 26, 1917, at his home on Chihuahua Hill in Tombstone at the age of 72. The condition of this Imperial Cabinet card and period check is well preserved with the cabinet card showing some wear to the cardstock the photographs are mounted to and some browning to the cabinet card and check but otherwise shows a well preserved condition. The measurements of this cabinet card is 6 3/4" x 8 3/4" and the check measures 2 7/8" x 7 3/8". TTD151, P-22

All items will ship at our North American Auction Company in-house shipping department. Please allow up to 14-21 days after a complete invoice payment is made to package and ship your purchase. After you are notified of your winning bids from our company and your item invoice is paid in full our new shipping department will contact you. Make sure when signing up with our company that your preferred shipping information is up to date as this information will be used to estimate shipping cost. Once the items have been packaged our team will contact you for shipping payment. Shipping invoices and payment will be completely separately than the items invoice. Please notify the shipping department with any alternate request or instructions at mark@naabid.com or 800-686-4216 ext. 3. For a shipping quote please contact the same information above. PLEASE NOTE a shipping quote price can fluctuate in price. Auction company is not responsible for actual shipping cost being higher than quoted shipping cost. Thank you for trusting North American Auction Co. with your bids and shipping. As our shipping department is brand new please understand that delays can be expected.