Buffalo Bill Wild West Series Covers from Great Britain, James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
Dime Novels
Dime novels and weekly serials captivated readers across the country with tales of derring-do. Especially popular during the late 19th and 20th centuries, they were mass-produced of cheap materials. This meant that these stories often only cost the reader a dime and led to their immense popularity and accessibility. But it wasn’t only their price that made these popular – the exciting subject matter kept readers on the edge of their seats. Dime novels also played a significant role in romanticizing the American West with their tales. Featuring larger-than-life protagonists, heroes, and villains, these characters became archetypes of the American frontier. They also tended to rely on stereotypical characters. Native American characters were often portrayed as either the “noble savage” or the “savage other.” Written with more concern for sensationalism and returning readers than historical accuracy, dime novels often presented a distorted view of history, especially concerning the American West.
Dime novels were ephemeral in nature because of the materials used to mass produce them, however, they had a lasting impact on popular perceptions of Western history as they eulogized a West that never really existed, or at least not in the way that many of the stories were told.
When visiting the McCracken Research Library, we came across the James Wojtowicz Collection, an expansive collection mostly focused on Buffalo Bill ephemera. The two galleries below reflect some of the holdings of the Wojtowicz Collection. The gallery on the left showcases dime novels published in English, while the gallery on the right highlights titles published internationally and in a variety of languages. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
Dime Novels & Weekly Serials from the James Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
From the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
International Dime Novels & Weekly Serials from the James Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
Buffalo Bill's Avonturen Nieuwe Serie Nr. 3, De Opstand Der Pawnees (Dutch), from the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
Buffalo Bill Le Roi des Scouts, Sur la piste des Hommes rouges, No. 30 (French), from the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
Buffalo-Bill Graense-Kongen, Bind 14 (Danish), from the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
Buffalo Bill's Wilder Westen, No. 23 (German), from the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
Buffalo-Bill L'Alleato Sconoscuito, Fascicolo 2 (Italian), rom the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
Buffalo Bill's Avonturen Nieuwe Serie No. 723, In het Rijk der Azteken (Dutch), from the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
Buffalo Bill Aventura Emocionantes, Los Cinco Golfos No. 58 (Spanish), from the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
Buffalo-Bill I Dodshulen, Bind 17 (Danish), from the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
Le Nouveaux Buffalos, Les Ecumeurs de Sang, No. 126 (French), from the James W. Wojtowicz Collection, MS 327, McCracken Research Library. Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming.
