1

"Buffalo Bill" Cody

Image: Illinois State University, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

If we had to name the most famous cowboy in history , Buffalo Bill Cody would probably be a top contender. Throughout his lifetime, Cody greatly contributed to shaping the image we have of the American West.

Born in Iowa in 1846, he earned his nickname while working for the Union Pacific Railway, where railroad workers were amazed by his hunting skills. But history had bigger plans in store for Cody, and he would soon become an actor , traveling throughout the eastern United States performing plays based on stories of the Wild West for more than 30 years.

Eventually, poor business management and a certain change in popular interests led Buffalo Bill to ruin and he retired from show business just two months before his death in 1917. He was, however, mourned by millions of people who considered him a hero.

2

John Henry "Doc" Holliday

Image: Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz

John Henry "Doc" Holliday was born in 1851 in Griffin, Georgia, into a wealthy family. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in Philadelphia but was shortly thereafter diagnosed with tuberculosis and advised to live in the drier, hotter climate of the West.

In Dallas, Texas, he pursued his trade as a dentist but also discovered saloons and whiskey. Soon, realizing that gambling could be much more lucrative than dentistry, he began his professional gambling career.

The rest of his life was spent among crooks, gunfights, and jailmates in New Mexico, Arizona, and California. At only 36 years old, his lungs could not keep up with his gunslinging way of life and he finally met his death in 1887 in a hotel bed in Colorado. It is said that his last words were, "This is funny."

3

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid

Image: yavuz pancareken

The lives of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid became legendary pretty quickly. As early as 1903, their exploits inspired the first modern film —Edwin S. Porter's _The Great Train Robbery_— and since then, their adventures have not ceased to be portrayed by popular culture. In a way, they symbolize the definitive end of the romanticized Western era at the hands of 20th-century industrialization and urbanization.

Both cowboys were members of a gang known as "The Wild Bunch," which earned them a reputation as bank and train robbers. According to lore, after several years of crime and run-ins with the law, the bandits managed to escape to Latin America. Eventually, they were caught and killed in Bolivia in 1908. The fact that their graves were never found helped fuel the myth that they had, in fact, returned to the United States and lived in anonymity for many more years.

4

Jesse James

Image: Steve

Jesse James's life is one of the most emblematic of the Wild West. His criminal career began after his involvement with pro-Confederate guerrillas during the Civil War. Along with the Younger brothers, he created a gang with which they robbed banks, trains, stagecoaches, and stores from Iowa to Texas and from Tennessee to California.

It is believed that throughout the years they netted more than a quarter of a million dollars. Despite the gory nature of their heists and murders, the gang often had public sympathy.

Jesse's death is as controversial as his life. At only 34 years old, he was shot in the back by one of his gang partners, who hoped to obtain a state reward in exchange for his betrayal. The public was not happy with the government conspiring to assassinate a citizen, no matter how criminal, and the matter became a scandal, resulting in Jesse James's rise to mythical status.

5

Annie Oakley

Image: International Film Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

From an early age, Phoebe Anne Oakley Moses, better known as Annie Oakley, took up hunting to help support her family. At the age of fifteen, she won a competition against the famous marksman Frank Butler, to whom she later married. Together, they appeared in several exhibitions across the country and, in 1885, joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West show.

Annie was able to open the edge of a letter, shatter glass balls thrown in the air, and hit dimes held between her husband's fingers or apples placed in her poodle's mouth by shooting from 30 paces away. Her life was so rich and fascinating that she was the inspiration for several movies and plays.

6

Billy the Kid

Image: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

According to legend, Henry McCarty, better known as Billy the Kid, killed at least 21 people during his career as a notorious outlaw in New Mexico. However, he cemented his place in the pantheon of frontier legends not so much for his murders as for his personality and incredible marksmanship skills.

Born in the late 1850s in the Irish slums of New York City, McCarty had to reinvent himself as a gunslinger after the death of his mother when he was just a teenager. His life and the events surrounding his death at the hands of legendary lawman Pat Garrett were immortalized in numerous films, books, and songs. In fact, Billy the Kid holds the record as the most portrayed individual in cinematic history.

7

Lucille Mulhall

Image: Melissa Walsh

By 1900, split riding skirts allowed women to compete in rodeos without shocking Victorian-era audiences. But the truth is that women have been participating in exhibitions even in the early days of the Old West.

Lucille Mulhall is considered America's first legendary cowgirl. Born in 1885, Lucille grew up on her family's ranch in Oklahoma, where she acquired her incredible cattle-roping skills. She began performing in shows as a teenager and, throughout her career, competed in many rodeos, setting a few roping world records.

8

Belle Starr

Image: Pixabay

Perhaps the most famous female gunslinger in the history of the West was Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr, better known as Belle Starr. Born in Missouri in 1848, Belle had a fairly well-to-do childhood and was a bright student. However, when her family moved to Texas after the Civil War, the young girl stumbled upon the James-Younger gang. After falling in love with Cole Younger, she became a member of the gang.

That love affair didn't last long, but a few others followed, which led her to live outside the law for the rest of her life. Her alleged riding and gun skills increased her fame throughout the country, turning her into a legend.

9

Wyatt Earp

Image: National Archives at College Park, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Wyatt Earp belonged to a large family whose members were famous for being gunfighters, gamblers, bison hunters, miners, and lawmen. While all were notorious Wild West characters, it was Wyatt's exploits that have gone down in history. His life is testimony to the ambiguity that prevailed at a time when there was no distinction between upholding the law and transgressing it.

After a long life traveling the American West as a deputy sheriff, bounty hunter, and saloon owner, in 1905 Wyatt settled permanently in Los Angeles, California. He became a film consultant in Hollywood, befriending producers, directors, and actors. It is even said that John Wayne took Earp’s stories as inspiration for some of the tough characters he portrayed on the big screen.

10

"Wild Bill" Hickok

Image: Turuncu Sakal

James Butler Hickok, better known as "Wild Bill," is a legendary folk hero thanks to the many stories that romanticized his life as a soldier, gunslinger, gambler, marshal, and actor. Over the years, his adventures have been retold numerous times in pop culture. The truth is that Hickok did more in his thirty-nine years of life than most who lived twice as long.

Since his birth in Illinois in 1837, he is said to have been involved in some of the most dramatic and, at the same time, most spectacular events in the history of the Wild West. His death, unsurprisingly, is also legendary. In 1876, while playing a game of poker in a saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, a man named Jack McCall shot him in the back of the head. The cards he was holding at the time —two pairs of Aces and black Eights— became the well-known "dead man's hand."

1

Empire State Building, New York City

Image: William Wachter

Undoubtedly, the Empire State is the most famous building in New York City. Every year, about 2.5 million people visit it, and it has been featured in countless movies and TV shows. Designed by American architect William F. Lamb, it was inaugurated in 1931.

For forty-one years, the Empire State Building was the tallest skyscraper in the world. The symmetry, limestone façade, huge windows, and the monumental and luxurious lobby are some of its main features. The design of this Art Deco masterpiece is so spectacular and breathtaking that in 1986 it was designated a National Historic Landmark.

2

The Carlyle, Miami Beach

Image: Luis Erives

Miami has the largest concentration of Art Deco buildings in the world. The city has a remarkable collection of around 800 structures built in this style. Visiting the Art Deco district along Collins Avenue, Ocean Drive, and Washington Avenue is like traveling back in time. And perhaps the Carlyle, for its sophisticated combination of horizontals and verticals, is one of the most emblematic.

It was built in 1939 by German-American architect Richard Kiehnel, and its façade has barely changed since then. Its interior, on the other hand, went from hotel rooms to apartments.

3

Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, Tulsa

Image: Quang Vuong

The Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of the few examples of an Art Deco church. Beginning in the 1920s, little Tulsa became the oil capital of the U.S., and the sudden influx of resources encouraged investors to build increasingly grandiose buildings. Thus, this church is considered the first ecclesiastical building strictly designed for an emerging automobile culture.

Constructed from Indiana limestone, the church features a steel-frame tower topped with a copper and glass lantern. A seven-pointed star symbolizes seven virtues: patience, purity, knowledge, suffering, kindness, love, and truth. The complex also includes a sanctuary, a small chapel, and offices, while the lobby serves as a social center.

4

Union Terminal, Cincinnati

Image: Fred Copley

Cincinnati Union Terminal in Ohio is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the United States. Its green terrazzo floors, fine-grained Indiana limestone façade, and vast rotunda adorned with industrial murals by Winold Reiss make the station a true architectural masterpiece. In fact, it is considered the pinnacle work of Alfred T. Fellheimer, who had previously designed Grand Central Terminal in New York.

Unfortunately, Union Terminal began construction in 1928, during one of the worst periods in the country's economic history. The Great Depression was marked by a decline in train travel, and the opulent Union Terminal was considered a white elephant. In 1972, it was finally closed. Years later, however, the building regained its former luster. Today, it is served by Amtrak’s Cardinal line, while the rest of the complex houses several museums.

5

Carbide & Carbon Building, Chicago

Image: Anthony Fomin

The Carbide & Carbon Building, a 37-story skyscraper completed in 1929, is one of Chicago's most striking architectural achievements. A bold example of Art Deco design , the building is clad in black granite and green terra cotta, with genuine gold leaf adorning its tower.

It is so luxurious that the Burnham Brothers architectural firm is said to have designed it to resemble a champagne bottle. In 1996, it was designated a Chicago Landmark, and in 2021, it was renovated and reopened as the Pendry Chicago Hotel.

6

The Guardian Building, Detroit

Image: G + L

This 43-story Art Deco skyscraper is located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Nicknamed the Cathedral of Finance , it was planned by architect Wirt C. Rowland and completed in 1929. Both the interior and exterior feature numerous modern decorative elements, including mosaics, murals, stained glass, and even a historic Tiffany clock.

Forty craftsmen worked on its design and construction, which required granite, stone, terra cotta, and more than two million distinctive "Union Guardian Orange" bricks. In 1989, the Guardian Building was designated a National Historic Landmark.

7

Chrysler Building, New York City

Image: William Wachter

The Chrysler Building in New York City is one of the greatest examples of the Art Deco style in the world. It was designed by architect William Van Alen at the request of industrial magnate Walter Percy Chrysler and completed in 1930.

The building exhibits great attention to detail, featuring many elements that mimic Chrysler automobile pieces, such as the ostentatious ornamentation of the tower. In the lobby, the ceiling mural—once the largest in the United States—was painted by artist Edward Trumbull. Following the building’s automotive theme, it depicts scenes of progress, transportation, and energy.

8

Eastern Columbia Building, Los Angeles

Image: Jordan Rubin

Located in downtown Los Angeles, this emblematic 1930s building features a striking turquoise terra cotta exterior. The Eastern Columbia Building was designed by renowned architect Claud Beelman, who also created several of the city’s notable Art Deco structures. At the time of its construction, the building was so unique that the city allowed it to exceed the maximum height limit.

Its unique color, majestic vertical lines, iconic clock, and golden ornamentation attracted Hollywood moguls and stars from the beginning. It was first used as office space and was later converted into luxury apartments. In 1985, the Eastern Columbia Building was declared a Historic-Cultural Monument.

9

Circle Tower, Indianapolis

Image: Alejandro, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The construction of a 14-story skyscraper in Indianapolis was a major news event in the early 20th century. "Circle Tower Is Rising," declared the Indianapolis Times in 1929. Circle Tower stands as a magnificent example of Art Deco architecture.

Built of ornately carved granite and limestone and decorated with Egyptian figures, Circle Tower has a unique, trapezoidal shape. This unusual silhouette was promoted as an icon of luxurious office space. The interior, on the other hand, features marble and terrazzo floors, bronze elevator doors, geometric flowers, zigzags, and concentric swirls. Details in the lavishly marble-clad lobby exude elegance.

10

Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles

Image: David Vives

The Griffith Observatory is one of Los Angeles’ most important cultural attractions. This Art Deco icon opened in 1935 and was designed with a revolutionary idea in mind: the cosmos should be accessible to everyone, not just astronomers.

Built of reinforced concrete on a 3,015-acre site donated by Colonel Griffith J. Griffith, it is a blend of modern design and Greek and Beaux-Arts influences. The building's most emblematic feature? The planetarium in the central dome!

1

Ford

Image: Ross Sokolovski

What is to say about Ford that hasn’t been said already? This omnipresent American car brand, founded by Henry Ford in 1903, is popularly known as the auto manufacturer responsible for putting America on wheels. Ford’s first car, the Model A , was assembled at a plant in Detroit.

The Model T was an affordable, reliable, and efficient vehicle . Within 10 years, half the cars in America were Model T’s. Ford created the world’s first moving assembly line for cars, which would change the industry forever. This invention allowed the company to produce one Model T in under thirty seconds.

2

Chevrolet

Image: Gary Sandoz

Another legendary brand, Chevrolet was founded in 1911, in Detroit, Michigan, by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant. Chevrolet introduced its first model, which was the Series C Classic Six and almost three thousand cars were sold the first year.

Chevrolet produced its one-millionth vehicle in the 1920s. In the late 1920s, Chevrolet surpassed Ford in sales, becoming the top seller of both cars and trucks. This position for first place went back and forth between the two brands over the years.

3

Jeep

Image: Kenny Eliason

A brand that was born strong, Jeep vehicles were first used in World War II as a reliable ride and then slowly made their way into the American non-military market. This brand is dubbed as a "Go anywhere, Do anything" kind of vehicle, owing to its sturdy frame and powerful engine.

Nowadays Jeep is popular among off-roaders and has several classic models in its roster, including the Wrangler, Cherokee, and Grand Cherokee, among others.

4

Dodge

Image: Dan Gold

Believe it or not, Dodge was a bicycle maker before being a car maker . The brand, established in 1900 dealt with bicycles in the first place and then started supplying car parts before deciding to get into the production of vehicles in 1914.

In the early 1920s, after the original founders passed away Chrysler bought the brand and continued producing successful cars, among them, the Ram, the Charger, the Caravan, and many others.

5

GMC

Image: todd kent

Another hugely successful American brand is GMC. The General Motor Truck Company came into existence in 1911. Over the years, the company started manufacturing large powerful vehicles including SUVs, vans, and a massive range of trucks. Popular GMC models include Acadia, Canyon, Sierra, Sienna, and Yukon among others.

6

Cadillac

Image: Sidney Pearce

The most famous luxury car in America, Cadillac owes its name to Antoine Laumet de La Mothe Cadillac, a French adventurer who discovered the city of Detroit. Believe it or not, passenger seats and an enclosed cabin were introduced for the very first time by Cadillac because, well, that was considered a luxury back then.

Some famous Cadillac car brands include the Camaro, Silverado, Tahoe, and Impala, among others.

7

Lincoln

Image: Arvin Dale

Other than Cadillac, most people would say Lincoln if asked for a luxury car brand, since this company is also a pioneer in this segment. This popular American car manufacturer started making luxury vehicles in 1917, at a time when the concept was not affordable for many.

Some classic Lincoln cars that are timeless to date include the Zephyr, the Town Car, the Mark LT, and the Navigator SUV. The latest SUVs popular among car enthusiasts include the Nautilus, MKC, Aviator, and Lincoln Corsair.

8

Tesla

Image: Tesla Fans Schweiz

Not many car brands have become so iconic in as few years as Tesla has and there is a simple reason for this: this American car brand revolutionized regular automobiles and made them electric . It had been done before, yes. But not with this level of success.

Tesla is a pioneer in reducing the carbon footprint of the environment with its electric vehicles. Many auto manufacturers are now following in Tesla’s footsteps. The revolutionary company unveiled its first creation called the Tesla Roadster in 2008.

9

Buick

Image: Mohammad Hoseini Rad

Buick is one of the oldest automobile brands in the world, having been founded in 1899. The company has a long history of producing high-quality, luxury, and performance-oriented vehicles and has been a part of General Motors since 1908.

In recent years, Buick has seen a decline in sales in the United States and has focused on the Chinese market where the brand has experienced success. Buick has shifted its focus towards producing more crossover and SUV models to meet the demand for larger vehicles in the current market.

10

Oldsmobile

Image: Hombre

Honoring its name, Oldsmobile, like the aforementioned Buick, was one of the oldest automobile brands in the United States, being founded in 1897. It initially gained popularity through innovations such as the first mass-produced car and the first automatic transmission.

In the mid-20th century, it was known for its performance and style, being a public favorite. However, by the late 1990s, Oldsmobile’s sales began to decline, leading to its discontinuation in 2004 as part of General Motors’ restructuring.