The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill

 

Buffalo Bill Negatives Not Destroyed.

In our account of the destruction by fire of the Powers Picture Play Company, in the issue of June 17th, it was stated that the negative of the Buffalo Bill Wild West and Pawnee Bill Far East fi1ms had been destroyed. We have since learned that it was a grave error to have published the fact that the films were destroyed, for the reason that they were not destroyed, and were not in the plant at the time of the fire.

Our account of the fire was written from a personal interview with Mr. P. A. Powers directly after the fire, at which time we were told by him that the Buffalo Bill negatives had been burned, which Mr. Powers himself believed to be true at that time. Having so many things on his mind at such a time, it would be quite natural for Mr. Powers to suppose that everything in his studio had been burned. But, fortunately in this case, he was mistaken. There were a number of prints of the Buffalo Bill film destroyed, which had been made by the Powers Company upon order from the Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill Film Company, but the negative had been returned to the Buffalo Bill people and was in their down-town office at the time of the fire in the Powers plant.

The statement that these negatives were burned has occasioned some apprehension on the part of those who had contracted for State rights, and the Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill Film Company has requested us to assure those who have placed their orders that the negative is perfectly safe, and also that a number of new prints from the same are ready for delivery at any time in the shipping department of the Sales Company, 111 East 14th Street, New York City.

Banner image: Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming, U.S.A.; Original Buffalo Bill Museum Collection, P.69.118