Ron Bledsoe Trade Catalog and Ephemera Collection

Collection

Identifier: 1997-024

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection is arranged into two series, Trade Catalogs and Ephemera and Photographs.

Dates

Creation: circa 1880-1993

Creator

Bledsoe, Ron (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The Ron Bledsoe Trade Catalog and Ephemera Collection has no restrictions and is available for research. If you are interested in researching the materials, please contact the Dickinson Research Center to make an appointment.

Conditions Governing Use

The Ron Bledsoe Trade Catalog and Ephemera Collection is the property of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Materials, even if owned by the NCWHM, may be protected under third party copyright. It is the patron’s responsibility to research and secure any such additional copyright and pay any required fees or royalties. It is not the intention of the NCWHM to impede upon any third party rights, and the NCWHM cannot be held responsible if the patron is involved in legal action due to violation of third party copyright claims.

Biographical / Historical

Ron Bledsoe is a collector and dealer in saddle and tack catalogs and ephemera who lives in Danville, California.

Extent

5.75 Linear Feet (13 document boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection consists of more than 200 saddle and tack catalogs dating from the late-1880s through the mid-1980s. It also includes saddle and tack related ephemera such as price lists, order forms, company envelopes, and advertising materials. Manufacturers featured in the collection include Edward H. Bohlin, Fred Mueller Saddle & Harness Co., George Lawrence Co., Hamley & Co., Hermann H. Heiser Saddlery, N. Porter Saddle & Harness Co., S. D. Myres Saddle Co., and Visalia Stock Saddle Co. Also in the collection are a small number of photographs including a circa 1887 promotional cabinet card photograph and price list from Walker & Wade.

Arrangement

Series 1: Trade Catalogs and Ephemera (ca. 1880-1993) Constitutes the bulk of the collection. The series includes more than 200 saddle and tack-related catalogs and ephemeral items from over 75 manufacturers including Edward H. Bohlin, Fred Mueller Saddle & Harness Co., George Lawrence Co., Hamley & Co., Hermann H. Heiser Saddlery, N. Porter Saddle & Harness Co., S. D. Myres Saddle Co., and Visalia Stock Saddle Co. The bulk of the series dates from the 1920s through the 1940s, but it includes more than 30 late-19th century and early-20th century catalogs and over 50 catalogs from the 1950s through the 1980s.

The collection documents items related to all aspects of horse-powered transportation including saddles, bits, spurs, bridles, harnesses, whips, cowboy hats, chaps, clothing, boots, tools, and other related metal and leather goods. The catalogs feature products ranging from very expensive and elaborate parade saddles to gear for the working cowhand. Well-rendered illustrations enable the researcher to compare and contrast different designs between manufacturers and over time. Many catalogs include price information allowing pricing comparisons between similar products over time. The collection also documents changes in transportation technology as the early catalogs, which prominently feature harnesses and other carriage and wagon trappings, give way to catalogs that place more importance on saddles, bridles, bits, and spurs catering to the cowboy and leisure markets.

Although many prominent saddle and tack manufacturers and distributors are represented, the collection is not a comprehensive treatment of the subject. Many manufacturers are represented by a single catalog. Makers and distributors with significant representation in the collection include George Lawrence Co., Hamley & Co., Hermann H. Heiser Saddlery, N. Porter Saddle & Harness Co., and Visalia Stock Saddle Co.

Series 2: Photographs (ca. 1887-ca. 1990) This series is comprised of three images. A late 1880s cabinet card photograph features three different Walker & Wade saddle models on a promotional piece that includes description and pricing information on the reverse of the card. Two contemporary photographs show the current appearance of the Harpham Brothers Co. building in Lincoln, Nebraska.