Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Annie, get your $143,400 ...

 

Guy Adams
Tuesday 12 June 2012 00:46 BST
Comments
A series of photographs, a stetson worn by Annie Oakley and a
12 Gauge Parker Brothers Shotgun were among the items that went up for auction
A series of photographs, a stetson worn by Annie Oakley and a 12 Gauge Parker Brothers Shotgun were among the items that went up for auction (AP)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A shotgun used by Annie Oakley, the famous sharp-shooter whose career was the subject of Irving Berlin's musical Annie Get Your Gun, has sold for $143,400 (£92,000) in Dallas.

The hammer-action 12 bore was among 100 personal effects, including Oakley's Stetson hat, personal letters, and photographs, put up for auction by her surviving great grand-nieces. The sale fetched just over half a million dollars.

Oakley, raised in poverty in rural Ohio, became a star of Buffalo Bill's touring Wild West Show in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was famed for her ability to split a sideways-on playing card with a single shot from a pistol at 90ft. The cards were peppered by further shots as they fell to the ground.

Early cinema owners referred to free tickets as "Annie Oakleys" because of the multiple holes punched in them. She died in 1926, aged 66.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in