MS 071 - Vincent Mercaldo Collection, 1850-1945 | McCracken Research Library

By Rebecca Klein, 2008; Donna Bowles, 2011;

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Collection Overview

Title: MS 071 - Vincent Mercaldo Collection, 1850-1945

Primary Creator: Mercaldo, Vincent J.

Extent: 21.0 Boxes

Date Acquired: 01/01/1971

Subjects: Buffalo Bill's Wild West

Languages: English

Abstract

Vincent Mercaldo was a collector of Western imagery. He compiled a rich storehouse of photographs, prints and drawings depicting Western people and subjects. The collection consists of over 2,000 prints and negatives of American Indians, Western explorers, lawmen and outlaws, and Buffalo Bill and the Wild West show. Also included are engravings from the Union Pacific Railroad Surveys, 1853 – 1855, newsclippings, and articles.

The Vincent Mercaldo collection contains original and altered photographs, copy negatives, copy prints, and manuscript materials. Subjects include individual people, groups, places, movie stills, and scenes from western life. Manuscript materials include articles, clippings, illustrations, book excerpts, programs, and other ephemera.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

For current finding guide please visit: https://mccrackenatcenterofthewest.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/593

Collection Historical Note

Vincent Mercaldo was born in Marseille, Italy, in 1903. In 1909 he and his mother immigrated to the United States of America to join his father in New York City, New York. As a child, Mercaldo became enamored with Buffalo Bill and the legends of the American West. He began to collect photographs, posters, letters, clippings; any materials that concerned the frontier, and its characters. At age fourteen, Mercaldo went to work for a necktie manufacturer in Brooklyn, eventually becoming the head tie cutter and pattern maker for Brooks Brothers clothing company. Mercaldo remained passionate about his collection, and over his lifetime accumulated an assortment of original photographs, western ephemera, copy prints, and book excerpts. He often licensed use of his collection materials to researchers and publishers, and, over time, created copy negatives, altered photographs, and “improved” images. Today, we would call this "Photoshopping" or "Digitally Enhancing" of images.

Subject/Index Terms

Buffalo Bill's Wild West

Administrative Information

Repository: McCracken Research Library

Access Restrictions: McCracken Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials. Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation or publication. Contact McCracken Research Library for more information.

Acquisition Source: Mrs. Vincent Mercaldo

Acquisition Method: Purchase.

Preferred Citation: Vincent Mercaldo Collection, MS 71, McCracken Research Library, Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Box and Folder Listing

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