PBA Galleries

. Autograph Letter Signed (“Bailey”). 2 pp.To C.B.Shea, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

“Through the courtesy of the American Art Association of New York, we have been informed that some time ago you purchased from them a picture by Mr. Frederic Remington entitled, “Fort Laramie and its Inmates”. This picture, together with a number of others was made by Mr. Remington for the late Francis Parkman as an illustration in his “Oregon Trail”, of which we are the publishers. We now have in process of manufacture a new and very fine edition of Mr. Parkman’s historical works, which is to be illustrated with a series of photogravure plates. The picture of Fort Laramie will appear in the new edition…and we write to ask if you would allow us to have a photograph made of the picture in your possession, as we can get a much better result by photographing from the original than from any of the prints in our present edition…” Remington’s Laramie illustration was included in Little Brown’s 1898 “Oregon Trails”, but there is no indication that it was taken from the original painting purchased by Shea, who owned Pittsburgh’s leading department store.