"Sherriff's Posse" circa 1930, Etching.

Edition: Not stated, but probably small. Signed by artist in pencil, lower right "W. M. Allison"; titled lower left.

Image: 7 5/16 x 9 15/16 inches (186 x 232 mm). Sheet: 9 5/8 x 13 inches (244 x 329 mm).

Excellent condition. Good margins. Two very small pieces of old matting tape along the upper back margin, well away from impression. Printed on off-white wove paper. William M. Allison was a well-known illustrator of early twentieth-century western literature. Allison worked for a variety of publishing houses, including, Grosset and Dunlap, Century Company, Cupples & Leon, Macmillan & Company, among others.

Although Allison illustrated many books it was primarily his work on two Western publications that helped seal his reputation as a solid and clear-minded illustrator.

The first, and most noteworthy, was "Pat F. Garrett's Authentic Life of Billy The Kid" which utilized his illustrations and colored frontispiece of "The Kid." This version of Garrett's story, edited by Maurice Garland Fulton and published by Macmillan and Company in 1927, and although a second edition (45 years passing between the first and second editions) is considered, due to the editing and annotations, historically superior to the very rare 1882 first edition. Incidentally, and just because I like it, the full title of the 1882 edition read:

The second book was the widely read, and more simply titled, "West," by Charles Alden Seltzer, published through Century Company in 1922.

Signed art by this artist is rare.

SOLD

"Trail Boss" circa 1930, Etching.

Edition: Not stated, but probably small. Signed by artist in pencil, lower right "W. M. Allison"; titled, lower left.

Image: 7 5/16 x 9 1/8 inches (186 x 232 mm). Sheet: 9 1/2 x 12 inches (241 x 304 mm).

Excellent condition. Good margins. Two very small pieces of old matting tape along the upper back margin, well away from impression. Printed on off-white wove paper.

SOLD