Old West Events | January 24-25, 2025 | Las Vegas, NV

Many Materials

Paintings and drawings join silver and leather at Brian Lebel’s Old West Show & Auction in Las Vegas.

By Michael Clawson

It may be hard to see amid the glitz and glamor, but Las Vegas is very much a Western town with a classic Western story. Springing from the dust of the Mojave Desert, the city has long clung to its Western roots, with its cowboy-themed slot machines and casinos, and even its famous neon cowgirl sign.

W.H.D. Koerner (1878-1938), Jubilo Where Did You Sleep Last Night, oil on canvas, 24 x 36 in. Estimate: $30/40,000

Playing into Vegas’ decadent cowboy culture will be Brian Lebel’s Old West Show & Auction, which returns to Nevada on January 24 and 25 at the Westgate Resort & Casino. It will be the show’s second annual event in Las Vegas after moving from Mesa, Arizona. The move allowed for some quality-of-life changes, including more nightlife, more restaurants and, if it’s your thing, margaritas in elaborate cups with silly cups. More than that, though, the move allowed Lebel and partner Morphy Auctions to find new collectors in a new destination city.

Harry Jackson (1924-2011), Two Champs II, bronze, 13¼ x 15 x 21 in. Estimate: $8/12,000

“We had a tremendous year our first year in Las Vegas, and we came away from it with lots of things we wanted to tweak, and collectors will see that as they come back this year,” says show owner Brian Lebel. “All of the wrinkles we had as we started a show in a new city are now gone, and we’ve really fine-tuned the show to be even bigger and better. And we’re already seeing our dealer show fill up, to the point that we’ve surpassed what we had last year.”

Lebel’s shows famously have two components, and this year is no exception: a 500-lot auction of Western art and objects, and then a dealer show filled with art dealers and experts from all around the West. The show leans hard into cowboy art and objects, but it will also include material from the Southwest, Old West and Native American art from around the country, including pottery, basketry, weavings, carvings, paintings, beadwork, quillwork, historical artifacts and so much more.

Edward Borein (1872-1945), Cowboy Roping a Wild One, pen and ink, 7½ x 8½ in. Estimate: $8/10,000

The Old West Show & Auction kicks off January 24 at 9 a.m. with the opening of the show, which runs all day until 5 p.m. That afternoon, starting at 4 p.m., the auction will take place in the same location, with a live auctioneer taking bids in the room and staff monitoring bidding from online platforms and phones. On January 25, the show once again returns from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As always, Lebel offers exclusive VIP access on January 22 and 23 during the dealer set-up period for any collectors who want to get a jump on viewing and purchasing the material before the public part of the show opens.

Highlights from the auction include 40 lots from the recently closed Fred Harman Art Museum in Colorado. Pieces up for grabs include finished oil paintings, drawings and illustrations, including classic images from the Red Rydercomic strip that Harman produced from 1938 to 1965.

Fred Harman (1902-1982), Save the Grub, oil on canvas, 26 x 44 in. Estimate: $3/4,000

A painting from illustrator-artist W.H.D. Koerner will be available to collectors with estimates of $30,000 to $40,000. The painting, Jubilo Where Did You Sleep Last Night, is a classic Koerner composition with numerous figures in a Western setting. Koerner’s images often illustrated books and magazines, and his material is sought after by Western collectors.

Drawings will play a large role in the sale, with choice pieces from Will James, Edward Borein and Joe Beeler. Lebel set the Borein world auction record in 2011 and routinely features great examples from the artist. This sale’s offering from Borein is Cowboy Roping a Wild One, a pen and ink on paper estimated at $8,000 to $10,000. The James is a pen and ink with watercolor work titled West and East – The Twain Meets, estimated at $4,000 to $8,000. The Beeler lot features three drawings, including Texas Steer.All three together are estimated at $2,000 to $3,000.

Colt frontier six-shooter shipped to Charles M. Russell Estimate: $50/70,000

Other painters represented in the sale include Ila Mae McAfee, Olaf C. Seltzer, Don Oelze, Mark Maggiori and others. One curious lot is from A.D.M. Cooper, who painted a nude figure with Lucifer. The piece, rare for the early 20th-century artist, is estimated at $25,000 to $35,000.

In the category of Western objects, the sale will feature two works by Edward H. Bohlin—a “Machris” parade saddle estimated at $100,000 to $150,000, and a pair of Tom Mix-style spurs estimated at $50,000 to $70,000—and also a Colt frontier six-shooter originally shipped to Charles M. Russell, who died before the gun arrived and he could use it. Although Russell never held the gun, it remains a unique item since Russell ordered it and had every intention of using it. “It was his gun in every way, except he died before it arrived,” Lebel says. “That makes it an interesting item in the world of Russell.” The gun is estimated at $50,000 to $70,000.

Edward H. Bohlin (1895-1980), “Machris” parade saddle, 33 x 26 x 49½ in. Estimate: $100/150,000

Noteworthy auction lots include a wide variety of Native American material and objects, including important artifacts from the 19th century. Lebel estimates about 20 percent of the sale will be material made by Native Americans. Among the highlights is the White Bull historic ledger and storybook, estimated at $75,000 to $125,000. The book appeared in a previous Lebel sale, but failed to find a bidder. Since then, Lebel and his team have lowered the estimates to more competitive numbers and also done more research on the lot.

Edward H. Bohlin (1895-1980), Tom Mix pattern spurs, 5½ x 10 x 3½ in. Estimate: $15/25,000

“White Bull did two ledgers, and this was the second one. The first one didn’t have words, but this one does so we feel it’s a bit more historic,” Lebel says, adding that he brought in a handwriting expert to help transcribe some of what is written. “It’s a powerful book that has all of the great battles. It’s something that needs to be placed with the right bidder.”

Ila Mae McAfee (1897-1995), Trouble on the Trail, oil on canvas, 36 x 48 in. Estimate: $4/5,000

Other Native American material includes two historic war clubs, three sets of bridles and a large selection of weavings.

Lebel notes that he acquired so much material, all of it very quickly, that he’s already begun to fill a March 2025 online sale. “We get some of the best material in the world,” he says, adding that he hopes people visit in person so they can get the full experience. “It all comes down to our dealers. They are so knowledgeable. So, while we do have online bidding, people should come to the show to meet our dealers and learn from the best people in the business. They can help them start collecting, or take their collecting to the next level.” —