Norwich Station - Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, 1903

One of the pioneers of the Wild West Show, Buffalo Bill Cody brought his spectacular show to Britain three times at the turn of the century, touring the country in 1887, 1891-2, and again in 1902-4. The three tours brought larger groups of Native Americans to Britain than had ever previously crossed the Atlantic and it was these performers who stole the show. Their ferocious attacks on a wagon train, a stage coach, and then a settler’s cabin, each cut short by the heroic arrival of William Cody and his troops, delighted the crowd and also promoted a simplified, triumphant, colonialist account of American history and “Indian savagery” that would endure down the years.

During the last tour, the most extensive with over 300 performances, the show visited Norwich and arrived at this station on 10th September, 1903. Setting up their “canvas town” at grounds on Unthank Road, the performers thrilled the audiences even through heavy downpours, which newspaper reports blamed for the lower than expected ticket sales. Yet, as the Eastern Daily Press remarked, the show “is quite unique in its way, and those who have missed the opportunity of seeing it at their own doors are not to be envied.”

For more information on the Buffalo Bill Shows in Britain, you can read the Beyond the Spectacle blogpost: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/bts/2017/11/27/buffalo-bills-lakota-indians-in-1887/