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McIntosh

Gerald J. McIntosh Western Ephemera Collection

Gerald J. McIntosh Papers, 1878, 1900-1977
49 inches
Location: 3D3-6 and 9B3
Collection MS025
Accession H.116

Biography

Gerald J. McIntosh was born in 1894, and moved to Indian Territory in 1904. In 1919, McIntosh moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was employed as a tie and timer inspector for the Rock Island Railroad, a position he held throughout his working life. He was still alive in 1977 which is the date of the last letter received at the museum.

Scope & Content Note

Gerald J. McIntosh was interested in rodeo and many other aspects of the Western Lifestyle. Over his lifetime he collected and subsequently shared with the Museum, a wide variety of American Western popular culture formats as well as a small amount of his own personal papers. This collection is arranged into eight series, Booklets, Letters, Pamphlets, Periodicals, Postcards, Scrapbooks, Songbooks, and Subject Files.

The Booklets (1922) series contains one booklet and a document about it, written by McIntosh. The Papers were donated with many booklets, and all but this one have been moved to the Library stacks. Please search the Library Catalog, using his name, for more information.

The Letters (1887, 1938-1952) series consists of McIntosh’s correspondence with “Wild West Weekly” magazine about his submissions to the “Fiddlin’ Joe’s Song Corral” column, and with singer-songwriter Kitty Lee. There are also two letters written by Raymond Gardner, also known as Arizona Bill, an Army scout during the Indian Wars, and a document written on ledger paper that purports to be a letter of recommendation for Gardner written by General Nelson A. Miles. It is dated December 14, 1877 in Montana Territory, and mentions his service in the “Nez Perce Raid & Campaign.”

The Pamphlets (1926) folder contains one fragile pamphlet. The Papers were donated with many pamphlets, and all but this one have been moved to the Library stacks. Please search the Library Catalog, using his name, for more information.

The Periodicals (1878-1963) series is divided into four subseries – Comic Books, Lists, Magazines, and Newspapers. The series is arranged by periodical title and then date of publication. Most of the items have been cataloged individually and can be found by searching the Library Catalog. Of note is a late-1960s Turkish language graphic novel chronicling the adventures of Tom Mix, or, as the title has it, “Tom Miks.”
The Lists subseries is comprised of handwritten and typed databases created by McIntosh. There is a story index for the periodicals “Buffalo Bill Stories,” “New Buffalo Weekly,” and “Zane Grey’s Western Magazine.” There is also a photography index for “Hoofs and Horns,” from 1940-1962.
The Magazine subseries includes whole magazines and compilations of thematic clippings, while the Newspaper subseries contains partial and whole newspapers from the late 1800s to early 1900s.

The Postcards (1910-1950) is a small series consisting primarily of western-themed images from the first two decades of the 20th century. Included are images of cowboys, American Indians, the 101 Ranch, Wild West performers such as Buffalo Bill Cody, and a series of nine cards advertising Bull Durham tobacco.

The Scrapbooks (1908-1967) include nine scrapbooks assembled by McIntosh. The clippings within the books focus on Western themed stories and poetry. One scrapbook contains materials about Will Rogers.

The Songbooks (1908-1950) are Western themed. Of note in this subseries is a souvenir program of music used in the 101 Ranch Wild West Show.

The Subject Files (1900-1977) include memorabilia and material about a variety of topics of interest to McIntosh. Notable in this series are a set of 1915 advertising cards for Arbuckle’s Coffee, three decorated envelopes advertising the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, a 1914 political advertising card promoting Al Jennings for Oklahoma governor, and a prospectus from “Alfalfa Bill” Murray’s Bolivian colonization venture.

Note to Researchers

Within the Accession file are letters from McIntosh to museum staff which were included with the material he was sending at the time. In the letters he often wrote about his declining health and eyesight. Sometimes he’d tell where he bought the books or pamphlets and if he knew the author. McIntosh mentioned Dean Krakel several times, worrying that Krakel wouldn’t value the things he was donating.

Subject Terms

Personal Names:
Buffalo Bill, 1846-1917
Buntline, Ned, 1822 or 1823-1886
Crawford, Jack, 1847-1917
Gardner, Raymond Hatfield, d. 1939
Jennings, N. A. (Napoleon Augustus), 1856-1919
McIntosh, Gerald J., 1894-
Miles, Nelson Appleton, 1839-1925
Murray, William H. (William Henry), b. 1869
Pawnee Bill, 1860-1942
Rogers, Will, 1879-1935
Williams, James Robert, 1888-1957

Corporate Names:
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Company
Miller Bros. & Arlington 101 Ranch Real Wild West (Organization)
National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center
Sells-Floto Circus

Subject Headings:
Advertising—Circus
Caricatures and cartoons
Comic books, strips, etc.
Cowboys
Cowboys—Humor
Cowboys—Songs and music
Cowboys’ writings
Dime novels
Indians of North America
Indians of North America—Humor
Outlaws
Outlaws in literature
Periodicals
Photographs
Poetry—West (U.S.)
Postcards
Rodeo
Rodeo performers
Scrapbooks
Songs—West (U.S.)
Wild west shows
Wit and humor

Processing Information

The Papers was gifted from Gerald J. McIntosh to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum from 1965-1977. It was partially arranged in 1997, and fully processed in 2004. The Papers were reprocessed in 2014 for preservation purposes.

Preferred Citation

Gerald J. McIntosh Papers, 1878, 1900-1977, MS025, Box # Folder #, Donald C. & Elizabeth M. Dickinson Research Center, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Container List

All Series

Box Folder Folder Title / Description
Booklets
1 1 “Doin’s in Okla or A Gentle Reminder Three Years in Arkansas,” Dan W. McInturff and Adriel Stephenson, 1922
Letters
2 From Fiddlin’ Joe with “Wild West Weekly” magazine, 1938-1940
3 From Kitty Lee (via Victor Pulis), 1946-1947
4 From various magazine editors, 1945-1952
5 From Raymond “Arizona Bill” Gardner, c1887-1927
Pamphlets
6 “Gems of Inspiration: Poems and Jokes,” 1926
Periodicals
Comic Books
7 “Tom Miks,” Turkish publication, undated
Lists
8 “Buffalo Bill Stories,” and “New Buffalo Weekly,” story indexes, undated
9 “Hoofs and Horns,” photograph index, March 1940-September 1962
10 “Zane Grey’s Western Magazine,” story index, undated
Magazines
11 “Blue Book Magazine,” excerpts, 1935
6 1 “Boy’s Life,” August 1928
1 12 “Cowboy Lingo,” by Ramon F. Adams, excerpt from “Western Stories Magazine,” 1933-1934
13 “Cowboy Songs,” by Dan Coolidge from “Sunset Magazine,” 1912
“Desert Poetry,” by John Joseph from “Ace High Magazine,” 1923
14 Illustrated rope spinning article from “Cowboy Stories,” 1936-1937
6 2 “Leslie’s,” January 25, 1919
3 “Liberty,” May 10, 1924
4 “Life,” December 13, 1963
5 “Lone Scout,” May 24, 1919
1 15 Magazine compilation of poems by James Edward Hungerford, 1912-1930
6 6 “Saturday Evening Post,” February 9, 1918
7 “The Sphere,” September 24, 1927
1 16 Various weeklies covers, 1942 and undated
13 4 Various Western serials, 1927-1929
Newspapers
1 17 “The Boston Post,” April 26, 1906
18 “The Daily Graphic,” March 10, 1878
6 8 “Illustrated London News,” November 16, 1918
9 “L’Illustation: Journal Universel Hebdomadaire,” (The Illustration: Universal Journal Weekly), September 24, 1927
10 “The National Police Gazette,” October 16, 1926
Postcards
1 19 Buckhorn Saloon, San Antonio, Texas, 1921
20 Cowboy and cowgirl images, c1910-1945 and undated
21 Dalton Gang death images, undated
22 Horn Palace, San Antonio, Texas, 1921
23 Longhorn Trading Post, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 1950
2 1 Native Americans, c1910
2 Wild West Shows, c1910-1930
Scrapbooks
General
7 1 Life of Will Rogers, 1926-1961
2 Tall Tales, 1908-1967
3 Western pictures in advertisements and articles, 1917-1939
Poetry
8 1 1909-1949
2 1914-1915
3 1918-1938
9 1 1920-1956
2 1920-1961
3 1937-1959
Songbooks
10 1 101 Ranch Wild West Show Special Song Album and Souvenir, September 18, 1909
2 3 1910 Songster, 1910
4 1912 Songster, 1912
5 American Cowboy Songs, 1936
6 American Popular Songbook, 1909-1910
7 Columbian Songsters, c1915
10 2 Compilation, 1908-1950
2 8 Cowboy Ballads, Lomax and Lehman, 1912
9 Enterprise Songbook, 1915
10 Fiddlin’ Joe’s Song Corral from “Wild West Weekly, book 1, 1934-1938
11 Fiddlin’ Joe’s Song Corral from “Wild West Weekly, book 2, 1938
12 Fiddlin’ Joe’s Song Corral from “Wild West Weekly, book 3, 1939
13 Fiddlin’ Joe’s Song Corral from “Wild West Weekly, book 4, 1939
14 Fiddlin’ Joe’s Song Corral from “Wild West Weekly, book 5, 1940
15 Fiddlin’ Joe’s Song Corral from “Wild West Weekly, book 6, 1940
16 Frontier Ballads by Joseph Mills Hanson with illustrations by Maynard Dixon, 1910
17 Harold Rossiter’s Gigantic Song Collection, 1915
18 Indian Songs by Thurlow Lieurance, 1913
19 Ken Maynard’s Song of the Trails, 1935
20 Old Songs that Men have Sung from “Adventure Magazine,” 1922-1923
3 1 Popular Songs, c1912
2 Powder River Jack and Kitty Lee’s Songs on the Range, 1937
3 Red River Valley, 1945
4 Sailor Chanties and Cowboy Songs, Charles J. Finger, 1923
5 The Show-Me Missouri Song and Joke Book, 1912
6 Sing it Again!, 1946
7 Songs of the Cowboys, N. Howard “Jack” Thorp, 1908
13 3 Songs of Long Ago, 1923-1932
3 8 Songs We Sing, 1941
9 Treasure Chest of Home Spun Songs, 1935
10 Vocal Songster, c1915
11 Western Heart Throbs, 1937
12 When the Harvest Days are Over and Other Songs (no cover), undated
13 W.S.M. Grand Ole Opry Deluxe Songbook, 1942
Subject Files
Advertisements
14 Advertising card, Hassan Corktip Cigarettes “A Balky Pupil,” c1910
15 Flyers for Pawnee Bill’s Old Town and Indian Trading Post, c1930
16 Flyers, program, and ticket from the Sells-Floto Circus and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Combined Show, 1926
17 Program, 101 Ranch Real Wild West Show, 1915
18 Postcards advertising Bull Durham Cigarettes, c1910
19 Promotional Envelopes for the St. Louis World’s Fair and Exposition, 1904
20 Souvenir lithographs from the Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, 1908
21 United States and Territories advertising cards from Arbuckles Coffee, 1915
22 Western themed advertisements, 1942-1956 and undated
Cartoons
23 “Big George,” by Virgil Partch, 1970
10 3 Compilation, 1879-1967
3 24 “Cow Pokes,” by Ace Reid, 1967-1970 and undated
25 Cowboys, 1942-1971 and undated
26 Native Americans, 1940-1970 and undated
11 1 “Out Our Way,” by J.R. Williams, 1922-1967
2 “Out Our Way,” by J.R. Williams, 1924-1956
3 27 “Out Our Way,” by J.R. Williams, 1927-1954
11 3 “Out Our Way,” by J.R. Williams, 1934-1956
12 1 “Out Our Way,” by J.R. Williams, 1950-1953
2 “Out Our Way,” by J.R. Williams, 1953-1956
3 28 “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” Arkansas Gazette, 1950-1953
29 “Tall Tales of Arkansas,” by John Park Craven, 1942-1953
30 “Tall Timber Tales,” from Timber Topics Magazine, 1951-1960 and undated
12 3 Various, 1948-1960 and undated
General
3 31 101 Ranch, 1910-1968 and undated
32 Bowie knife, 1957
33 Buffalo, 1949-1968 and undated
34 Cattle, 1963 and undated
35 Circus, 1964-1966
4 1 Cowboys, 1908-1971 and undated
2 Horses, 1960-1966 and undated
3 Jokes, 1927-1970 and undated
4 Longhorn steer, c1940
5 Outlaws, 1938-1966
6 Pony Express, 1938-1941 and undated
7 Ranching, 1942-1956 and undated
8 Rodeo, 1926-1969 and undated
9 Transportation permit for buffalo horns, 1921
10 Texas Rangers, 1951 and 1968
11 Wells Fargo, 1949-1969
12 Western art and photography, 1918-1967 and undated
12 4 Western art prints, 1913-1916 and undated
4 13 Western film and theatre, 1919-1968 and undated
14 Western history, 1929-1968 and undated
15 Western personalities, 1936-1966 and undated
Locations
16 “Discovery and History of Carlsbad Caverns,” by Jim White, 1946
17 Fort Smith, Arkansas, 1941-1974
18 Knott’s Berry Farm, California, c1953
19 Matador, Texas, 1966
20 Oklahoma tourism materials and newspaper articles, 1955-1967
21 Texas highway maps, 1951-1955
22 Wyoming travel brochures and maps, 1924-1939
Native Americans
23 Indian Traders’ Supplies and Navajo Blankets pamphlet, 1908
24 Apache, 1942-1968
5 1 General information, 1941-1970 and undated
13 1 Poster, c1920
People
5 2 Autry, Gene, 1942-1945 and undated
3 Bean, Judge Roy, 1949 and 1971
4 Berlin, Irving, 1942
5 Betzinez, Jason, 1960
6 Billy the Kid, 1947-1959
7 Bridger, Jim, undated
8 Cody, William Frederick “Buffalo Bill,” 1917-1968 and undated
9 Custer, George A., 1941-1967
10 Dalton Gang, 1946 and 1958
11 Dobie, J. Frank, 1963-1964
12 Earp, Wyatt, 1955
13 Gardner, Raymond “Arizona Bill,” 1927
14 Gray, Otto, 1966
15 Grey, Zane, 1922-1972
16 Horn, Tom, 1926 and 1947
17 James, Jesse, 1941-1971
18 Jennings, Al, 1914-1915 and 1957
19 Lillie, Gordon W. “Pawnee Bill,” c1900-1950 and undated
20 Murray, William H. “Alfalfa Bill,” 1916-1977
21 Prather, Robert, 1955
22 Randolph, Vance, 1951 and 1965
23 Rayburn, Otto Ernest, 1953 and 1960
24 Rogers, Roy, 1946-1969
25 Rogers, Will, 1932-1968 and undated
26 Starr, Belle, 1932 and 1955

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