M.P. Russell was an Irish immigrant who came to the U.S. from Tipperary in 1863 seeking his fortune. He first worked for the Kansas-Pacific Railroad and met Buffalo Bill Cody when Cody was a buffalo hunter. Russell arrived in Deadwood, Dakota Territory in 1877. He started a saloon and became known as "Gold Nugget Mike". He became extremely successful and rich. Cody sent him a stuffed buffalo during this period (circa 1883) after Cody became a showman and it was displayed in his saloon. That saloon became the Buffalo Bar. It still exists today. I started collecting western photographs in 1966. Based on the image (a sepia image, not a 1880's albumen) and the type of mat it is on, the image dates circa 1890. It was taken by H.R. Locke, Deadwood, So.Dakota about 2 years or so AFTER statehood. On the top of the front of the mat is written: "TO BLACK HOX from his friend M.P. Russell". Some have said that Black Hox was actually the Indian chief Black Hawk, who died in 1890. I have no way to verify that. It is, however, a very rare photograph of an interesting western entrepreneur and character.
