Bridgeman is very pleased to be the exclusive distributor of the world-famous Peter Newark American Pictures Collection, a veritable treasure trove of fabulous images from throughout American history.

'Bronco Oranges,' c.1900 (color litho)		Poster for Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, featuring Annie Oakley, c.1899 (color litho)

The Peter Newark American Pictures Collection is exceptionally rich in its holdings of Americana, Old West and Native American imagery.

Hopi eagle dance, c.1960		Navajo sand painting from the Hail Chant

The image of the Navajo sand painting is particularly unusual and special since the paintings, made by the tribe's medicine man, are not viewed as static objects, but as living things.

The paintings are for healing purposes only, acting to attract spirits and also as a portal for them to come and go. The patient sits on the sand to absorb the spirits' power, while they in turn absorb the illness and take it away. Afterward, the painting is considered to be toxic, since the illness has been absorbed into it; the artwork is generally destroyed quickly, but through the Peter Newark American Pictures Collection, this amazing art is captured here for eternity.

Panning for Gold out West		Pioneer homestead made of prairie sod, 1886

The Peter Newark American Pictures Collection is also a fantastic resource for information about the lives of early pioneers. Anyone familiar with Laura Ingalls Wilder's renowned "Little House Books" will remember that for a time the family lived in a sod house (similar to the one pictured above), which was the inspiration for the author's novel, On the Banks of Plum Creek.

Headline declaring the end of Prohibition, December 6, 1933		New York society women having their first legal drink after the repeal of the Volstead Act in 1933

The New York ladies who lunch were glad to see the end of Prohibition! The collection also contains numerous wonderful political cartoons following the (obviously unsuccessful) temperance movement.

Franklin D. Roosevelt paddling a canoe at Campobello Island, New Brunswick, 1907		Lyndon B. Johnson helping with the roundup on his Texas ranch

Here are just a couple of the collection's many amazing photos of American presidents engaging in various pastimes.

Anti-drug poster issued by the US Public Health Service (color litho)		Albert Einstein (1879-55) with his step-daughter Margot taking the US Oath of Citizenship in New Jersey  October 1, 1940

Peter Newark collected fabulous snapshots of American history, with everything from psychedelic anti-drug posters to photographs of Einstein taking the US Oath of Citizenship.

American soldier shares his rations with South Korean child		American patrol in Vietnam armed with automatic rifles and machine guns

The picture collection is also a vast source of military and political imagery. To view images from this collection, enter "$PNP" into the search box on the Bridgeman homepage.