Amber crosshatched glass target ball owned by Oakley, 2.5″ in diameter and approximately 3″ tall, with “Bogardus Glass Ball, Pat’d Apr. 10, 1877.” Bogardus was a champion shooter whose raised crosshatch design was intended to make the balls more susceptible to breaking despite being hit with fewer pellets. Accompanied by a copy of a certificate of authenticity from Bess Moses Edwards, great-grandniece of Annie Oakley, stating the ball “was passed down through our family.” In fine condition, with a small vertical casting flaw. As Edwards’s letter states, in the mid-1870s, more shooters were switching from live targets to glass balls; Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show used the glass balls at first, but switched to a more resinous compound after problems arose from the shards of broken glass that showered the arena. A scarce intact relic from Oakley’s years as a headline international attraction. RR Auction COA.
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