Shannon Stirnweis (B. 1931) "Buffalo Hunter" Signed lower right. Original Fleetwood First Day Cover painting, Oil on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting originally appeared in the Fleetwood Trails West Collection of Fine Art Prints as "Buffalo Hunter" published in 1983. They came pounding up over the ridge as if the ridge itself were moving -- a black, pulsating mass, silhouetted against a bright blue sky. They thundered down the steep hillside, in wave upon wave of motion. Down, down the hill they galloped. Cowboys pursued them, spurring their steeds to match the frantic pace. These were the great American buffalo. In all the history of the world, no other large mammal, except for man, has been as numerous as the buffalo. But, tragically, the coming of the railroad destroyed most of them. There simply was not enough room for both the buffalo -- which sustained the American Indian -- and the iron horse, which brought the white man to the Wild West. Countless buffalo hunters, like this one pictured in this artwork, took part in the merciless and needless killing of the gentle beasts. Following wholesale slaughter during the late 1800s, the buffalo very nearly became extinct. But, by the turn of the C., and outcry by the Americn public brought help for the endangered buffalo. The American Bison Society was established. To further protect the buffalo, the American Buffalo Association was formed in the summer of 1975. Its purpose is to promote the preservation and selective marking of buffalo. Originally headquartered in Kansas, the association now resides in Cody, Wyoming. Image Size: 18 x 20.75 in. Overall Size: 20 x 22.75 in. Unframed. (B07378)