Annie Oakley Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

Annie Oakley was born on August 13, 1860, in Darke County, Ohio and she was an American sharpshooter and exhibition shooter who gained fame in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through her performances with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show.

Oakley began shooting and hunting at a young age to support her family after her father's death. By her early teens, she was selling game to local hotels and markets. Her reputation as a skilled markswoman grew rapidly, and in 1875, she famously defeated traveling exhibition shooter Frank E. Butler in a shooting match. The two later married in 1876 and formed a professional shooting act. In 1885, Oakley and Butler joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West, a popular touring show that dramatized frontier life. Oakley quickly became one of its top attractions. She performed feats such as shooting glass balls out of the air, splitting playing cards edge-on with bullets, and hitting dimes tossed into the air—all using a .22 caliber rifle or shotgun.

She performed before royalty and heads of state, including Queen Victoria of England, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and President William McKinley. Her performances challenged gender norms of the era and helped promote the idea of women participating in traditionally male roles. During her career, Oakley advocated for the training of women in marksmanship and firearm use for self-defense. She offered to raise a regiment of female sharpshooters during the Spanish-American War, although her offer was not accepted by the U.S. military. In 1901, she and Butler were involved in a serious car accident, leading her to briefly retire from the stage. She later returned to perform in charity shows and to teach shooting.