Yellowstone Collectibles

This book is about the myriad of Yellowstone National Park collectibles and souvenirs, from 19th-century horseshoes dipped in the park's thermal springs to contemporary books and artwork. Included are exquisite hand-painted Limoges porcelain, historic sand-bottle curios, stagecoach and railroad paraphernalia, rare books, photographs, jewelry, store-bought souvenirs, toys, dinnerware, employee items, paintings, postcards, brochures, keys, spoons, clothing, knickknacks, and more. The book highlights nearly 600 items. Each item is displayed in an exhibition-quality color photograph that shows true colors and details. Moreover, the descriptive text was written by 14 experts in their respective collecting fields, and all text was peer reviewed for accuracy. The text explains the numerous types of collectibles, their features and characteristics, their abundance or rarity, and their importance. For collectors, this book is a valuable guide and reference. For fans of the park, this book shows a new way of appreciating Wonderland and may inspire a Yellowstone collection of their own, because these collectibles reveal reams of park history--history that you can hold in your hand.
About the Author: Michael H. Francis is a recently retired wildlife photographer based out of Billings, Montana. He has thirty-six books to his credit, including Found Photos of Yellowstone: Yellowstone's History in Tourist and Employee Photos, Yellowstone Memories: 30 Years of Photographs & Stories, Watching Yellowstone & Grand Teton Wildlife, and Yellowstone Bears In The Wild, all published by Riverbend Publishing. Mike worked in Yellowstone Park for fifteen seasons and during that time became interested in park history and collectibles such as the many souvenirs found in the general stores and gift shops. Since 1974 he has collected thousands of images and souvenirs of the park, most of which have never been seen by the public. He is anxious to share these items with the world. Bobby Reynolds was born in Texas but grew up in the beautiful state of Montana. He is an avid amateur photographer and a huge fan of and collector of all things Yellowstone. Married and living in Billings, Montana, this is the second book he has co-authored. The first was Saddleries of Montana - Montana's Makers from Territorial Times to 1940.