Postcards

This French postcard depicts the European dime-novel version of Texas Jack. The caption says:

[French] Texas Jack, the famous Scout of the United States.

[German] Texas Jack, the most famous Indian fighter.

European countries were fascinated with America's western frontier, and stories of the men, like Texas Jack and Buffalo Bill, that called it home. Though both men came into conflict with Native American tribes during the course of their duties as scouts, they also had complicated and complex relations with American Indians, telling their friends that the white men were the cause of most of the troubles in the West. Texas Jack was a firm friend and strong ally of the Pawnee tribe in Nebraska, and Buffalo Bill later employed many Lakota men and women in his Wild West entertainment.

The fascination for the scouts carried into a fascination with Native tribes and people. Because Texas Jack stories were cowboy stories, he was often depicted as in conflict with the Comanche tribe. This postcard features Mah-Topa, the fictional Comanche chief opposed to Texas Jack in these dime novel stories. The caption for this one says: [French] Mah-Topa, the grand Chief of the Comanche

[German] Mah-Topa, the great Comanche Chief