Beschreibung:

impressive array of items from Mr. Rieckoff's, AKA Alf Malvern's career as a Sharpshooter, including engraved copper printing block with Alf Rieckhoff/Worlds High Class Shooting Star and oval portrait at right and world globe at left, 2.75" x 7.3", PLUS 28 early silver gelatin photographs and photogravures many newspaper clippings and periodicals all with adds or articles about this elusive sharpshooter. Wonderful selection of promotional photographs showing this gentleman and some of his partners in action or posing with Winchester Hi-wall Schuetzen and medals or trophies with imprints from Illinois, Wisconsin, and Missouri. Some of his partners include Ed Coleman, Payette, and Mildred K. Cook. Alf appears from the dated material to have been working from the 1890's through the early part of the 20th century. Archive also includes several printed targets used by Alf in his act. A whole series of photographs are on original printed card stock mounts marked Minonk Street Fair, Oct. 16, 17, 18, and 19, 1900, from Minonk, Ill. Descriptive script on several, such as Malvern doing his combination shot, shooting a ball from his own brad with two rifles. Interestingly, we could find nothing about this obviously talented sharpshooter; him or any of his partners. Alf & Mildred are listed on a group of their illustrated promotional 1/4 sheet posters as being Members of The Willow Rifle and Gun Club, Chicago; Short Range Rifle League of Chicago; Central Sharpshooters Union of America; Formerly of Chicago Sharpshooters Society; Illinois Rifle Association; Crescent Gun Club of Chicago; Gross Park Rod and Gun Club, Chicago; United States Revolver Association; and affiliated with The National Rifle Association of America. Provenance: Purchased from Norm Flayderman & Co., June 19, 1971, Catalog No. 88 Condition: Most of the photographs are from VG to EXC with a few only G+, the printed material is from G to EXC.