Unframed Figurative Sculptures
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Frame Included
Charlie - contemporary, male, figurative, paper Mache and stone sculpture
By Paul Duval
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary figurative tabletop sculpture is by Paul Duval.
This charming series of contemporary indoor sculptures showcases Quebec artist Paul Duval’s skill in capturing the ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stone, Wire
"Harold, The Magpie on Rope" Bird Bronze Sculpture with Bronze and Red Patina
Located in New York, NY
A wonderful yet very playful piece depicting Harold, a magpie standing on a short rope from Gillie and Marc's collection which explores all the interesting, complex characteristics o...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Janus's Heads by Martine Demal - Contemporary bronze sculpture, abstract, grey
Located in Paris, FR
Janus's Heads is a bronze sculpture by French contemporary artist Martine Demal, dimensions are 54 × 26 × 17 cm (21.3 × 10.2 × 6.7 in).
The sculpture is signed and numbered, it is p...
Category
1990s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Michael by Nando Kallweit. Elegant figurative bronze sculpture of male form.
Located in Coltishall, GB
Michael is an elegant figurative bronze sculpture by Nando Kallweit.
Nando Kallweit's work celebrates the modern human form while recognizing that our individuality is shaped by our...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Other Art Style Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Guardain Cat by Helle Crawford, Contemporary bronze cat animal sculpture
Located in DE
Even though Helle Rask Crawford often refers to classic myths in her sculptures, sh is not a classical sculptor in the neoclassical sense. Rather, Helle Crawford could be defined as ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Nude Sculptures
Materials
Bronze, Gold
Pink Kioveo by Jacques Owczarek - Animal sculpture of a hippopotamus, polymer
Located in Paris, FR
Pink Kioveo is a polymer sheathed with crocodile skin sculpture by contemporary artist Jacques Owczarek, dimensions are 17 × 30 × 13 cm (6.7 × 11.8 × 5.1 in).
The sculpture is signe...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Animal Skin, Polymer
French antique bronze sculpture by Eutrope Bouret
Located in Berlin, DE
This is an outstanding bronze statue of Eutrope Bouret, signed on the base, by the very well-known French artist Eutrope Bouret (1833-1906).
French antique bronze sculpture by Eutro...
Category
19th Century Art Nouveau Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
LOVE (Pink) sculpture, official replica with Indianapolis Museum of Art stamp
Located in New York, NY
Robert Indiana
LOVE (Pink), Artist Authorized, with Incised Indianapolis Museum of Art & Morgan Foundation Stamp and Artist Copyright, 2011
Brushed Aluminum (Pink) and Stamped with M...
Category
2010s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Magic Frog by Chésade - Bronze sculpture, animal art, expressionism, realism
By Chésade
Located in Paris, FR
Magic Frog is a bronze sculpture by contemporary artist Chésade, dimensions are 19.5 × 25 × 22 cm (7.7 × 9.8 × 8.7 in).
The sculpture is signed and numbere...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
20th Century Reclining Female Nude Marble Sculpture, Cleveland School Artist
By Max Kalish
Located in Beachwood, OH
Max Kalish (American, 1891-1945)
Reclining Nude
Marble
Signed on base
9 x 20.5 inches
Born in Poland March 1, 1891, figurative sculptor Max Kalish came to the United States in 1894,...
Category
Mid-20th Century Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Kusama Red and White Pumpkin (Yayoi Kusama pumpkin)
By Yayoi Kusama
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin: Red and White:
An iconic, vibrantly colored pop art piece - this small Kusama pumpkin sculpture features the universal polka dot patterns and bold colors for wh...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin
Hopeful (19/35) - Yellow Figurative Sculpture with Glossy Green Balloon
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nayla Saroufim creates glossy balloon sculptures for display on a table or hanging on a wall or ceiling that challenge the traditional notion of the passive viewer. Saroufim's art is a rich mix of media. She was always captivated by the dialogue between painting, illustration, and graphics. Her work embodies her attraction to colors and interest in all forms of expression, especially installations. Her technique is unique and personalized: a fusion of mixed media and installations in layers of steel, copper, paint, and other elements. Saroufim strives to make her positivity and love of happiness appear in her art, sparking emotion and thoughts in viewers.
This sculpture measures 26-inches high by 12-inches wide and has an 8-inch wide steel base. It is signed and dated underneath the base of the artwork. This sculpture is numbered 19 out of 35. This sculpture can be displayed easily on any flat surface and may be viewed from any vantage point. Free local Los Angeles delivery. Affordable Continental U.S. and International shipping are available. A certificate of authenticity issued by the art gallery is included.
Nayla Saroufim was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1982. She graduated from the Académie Lebanese des Beaux-Arts with a degree in Illustration and Art Direction. While working in the publicity field at several multinational advertising agencies, Saroufim began rekindling her interest in art. Creative, a dreamer, and a lover of color and beauty, Saroufim has been engaging in a creative expression of her personality through art for over a decade. She hopes that by looking at her art, people will realize that there is beauty and happiness in the simplest things.
Nayla Saroufim’s work has graced the walls of solo exhibitions including a show in London in December 2015 and one in Beirut in October 2013. Her work has been exhibited at the Beirut Art Fair, in Singapore, and at Asia Contemporary Art. Artspace Warehouse Los Angeles has exhibited her sculptural artworks since 2020.
REPRESENTATION
Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, California, USA
EXHIBITIONS
2023 LA Art Show, Los Angeles, California, USA
Affordable Art Fair Battersea, London, UK
Affordable Art Fair NYC, New York
2022 Affordable Art Fair Battersea, London, UK
Affordable Art Fair NYC, New York
2021 Affordable Art Fair Battersea, London, UK
Design week Marbella, Marbella, Spain, Curator Galería Javier Roman
Affordable Art Fair New York
Beirut rise from the ashes, La Biennale de Venice, Italy
Affordable Art Fair NYC, New York
Josephine Clavel Gallery, London, UK
2020 Artsfemin, Gstaad, Switzerland
Dessine moi un Cedre, Green Cedar Lebanon...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Metal, Steel
Frine (Phryne), 19th Century Large Marble Sculpture of Nude Woman
Located in Beachwood, OH
Ercole Rosa (Italian, 1846 - 1893)
Frine (Phryne)
Marble
Signed 'E. Rosa, Studio O. Andreoni, Roma' on back
34.5 x 12 x 10 inches
80 lb.
Phryne was a 4th century BC famous Greek ...
Category
19th Century Italian School Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Xsakioro by Jacques Owczarek - Animal bronze black sculpture of a horse, smooth
Located in Paris, FR
Xsakioro is a bronze sculpture by contemporary artist Jacques Owczarek, dimensions are 94 × 65 × 47 cm (37 × 25.6 × 18.5 in).
The sculpture is signed and numbered, it is part of a l...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss, Large Marble Sculpture after Canova, 19th C.
Located in Beachwood, OH
After Antonio Canova (Italian, 1757-1822)
Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss
Marble
24 x 19 x 16 inches
135 lb.
The love affair between Cupid and Psyche is one of the best known classic...
Category
19th Century Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Greek Guitar Player
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful abstract sculpture depicting a guitar player. Bronze on wood base measuring 15 x 9 x 4 inches. Actual cast piece without base measuring 17 x 7 x 3 inches. Signed indistinct...
Category
Mid-20th Century Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
$900 Sale Price
25% Off
Niemand and Soldier Duo
Located in Denver, CO
"Niemand and Soldier Duo" is of a limited edition of 25 works, edition 16/25 and signed. The Duo will be shipped directly from the artist's studio in Slovakia to your location. Ship...
Category
2010s Conceptual Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Polyurethane
Flight in Attitude, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
"Flight in Attitude, Atelier" by Richard MacDonald captures a dancer mid-ascent, suspended in a moment of pure elevation and grace. The figure’s outstretched limbs and lifted gaze ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
The weight of your head.…", Porcelain Cup with Sgraffito Detailing
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This cup is one of 48 that make up the installation, “Fragments of Our Love Story.” These cups feature feminine forms which recall the Venus of Willendorf and other historical fertil...
Category
2010s Modern Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Clay, Porcelain, Paint, Underglaze
Family II by Nando Kallweit. Elegant figurative bronze sculpture of a couple.
Located in Coltishall, GB
Family II is an elegant figurative bronze sculpture portraying a couple in love by Nando Kallweit.
There is an intimacy to the piece that celebrates the shared joy between two peopl...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Other Art Style Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Grand Tour Bronze Figure of Seated Hermes, Early 19th Century After the Antique
Located in Beachwood, OH
Large Figure of Seated Hermes, Grand Tour Bronze, Early 19th Century
19th Century Continental School After the Antique
The large size figure well cast, with brownish green patination...
Category
Early 19th Century Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble, Bronze
British Museum Fidia Horse Sculpture Parthenon Academical Plaster Vintage 20th
Located in Roma, IT
An Academic plaster sculpture study from the Marble statue from the East pediment of the Parthenon that showed the miraculous birth of the g...
Category
20th Century Other Art Style Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Plaster
After Botero -Dancer Bronze Sculpture
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
This AFTER BOTERO sculpture is a very beautiful, faithful reproduction in the style of BOTERO'S work that has sold very well here on 1st Dibs.
The edition is 50 in Roman numerals. ...
Category
20th Century Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble, Bronze
$880 Sale Price
60% Off
"Vigils Echo 4" Contemporary Nude Sculpture of a Woman with Bunny Mask
Located in Utrecht, NL
The mysterious artworks by Rachel Ann Stevenson invite you into a dream world. Rachel Ann sees artists as day dreamers who can show the impossible...
Category
2010s Contemporary Nude Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Contortionist Nude, 20th Century Bronze of Nude Female, Cleveland Artist
Located in Beachwood, OH
David Deming (American, 20th Century)
Contortion Nude
Bronze
Signed on base
14 x 12 x 9 inches
David Deming is a nationally recognized contemporary Ameri...
Category
Late 20th Century Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
After Giambologna Bronze of Mercury with green patina
By Giambologna
Located in New York, NY
Mercury, circa 1700s. Bronze with green patina. Height with base: 58 cm (22 7/8 in.)
Category
Early 18th Century Baroque Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Le Pousseur de Lune by M. de Soos - Contemporary bronze sculpture, human, move
Located in Paris, FR
Le Pousseur de Lune is a bronze sculpture by French contemporary artist Marine de Soos, dimensions are 56.5 × 74 × 14 cm (22.2 × 29.1 × 5.5 in).
The sculpture is signed and numbered...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Marble head of Roman Empress Domitia Longina
Located in New York, NY
Marble head of Roman empress Domitia Longina, wife of emperor Domitian. The elaborate hairstyle, a distinctive feature of Domitia's depictions, is worked in great detail, and the ser...
Category
Early 18th Century Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Aquila- 21st Century Contemporary Bronze Realistic Sculpture of a Nude Boy
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Aquila
Bronze Sculpture on pedestal of marble
Hight bronze 57 cm with pedestal of marble (included) 68 cm
Wim van der Kant's sculptures are in bronze...
Category
2010s Contemporary Nude Sculptures
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Reflections, bronze female bust sculpture contemplative peaceful Troy Williams
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Reflections, bronze female bust sculpture contemplative peaceful Troy Williams
Sculptor Troy Williams unites the timeless and the contemporary i...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze, Steel
Nathalie - Large Tall Figurative Modern Abstract Cubism Solid Bronze Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
German sculptor Nando Kallweit produces figurative bronze sculptures and reliefs with aquiline and a graceful modern appeal. Kallweit is inspired by seemingly disparate cultures; the...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Serendipity by Romain Langlois - Gold tone polished bronze sculpture, abstract
Located in Paris, FR
Serendipity is an abstract sculpture by the French contemporary artist Romain Langlois.
Gold tone polished bronze sculpture: 102 cm × 64 cm × 88 cm. Edition of 8 + 4 A.P.
This sculp...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
"Horse Playing with a Dog" Pierre Lenordez (1815-1892) circa 1860
By Pierre Lenordez
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"Saddled Horse Playing with a Dog"
Pierre Lenordez (1815-1892)
Bronze with green marble base, circa 1860
11 x 7 inches
Painter and sculptor, professor at the Academy of Fine Arts ...
Category
1860s Realist Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Veracruz Mexico Pre-Columbian ceramic Warrior figure sculpture
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Figure of a Chanting Warrior
Ceramic with bitumen highlights
300-600 CE (Classic Period)
Mexico, Veracruz, possibly Nopiloa
Veracruz Culture
Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Vera Cruz culture...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic
$6,000 Sale Price
50% Off
Cigar Store Indian, Early 20th Century, Carved Wood With Polychrome Decoration
Located in Cotignac, FR
A 20th Century wood carved male figure, a 'Cigar Store Indian' with original polychrome decoration.
A now controversial subject, but none the less charming rendition, of a native North American man originally probably used as an advertising figure. Wonderful quality of carving capturing the stance of the man looking out to the distance, hair flowing to his back and plait to the side, all the details of his costume, his native dress and hairpipe breastplate (suggesting he is possibly a Comanche) and chest ornament, apron, trousers, mocassins, shield and arrows. The original Polychrome decoration has weathered beautifully as has the wood itself to present a sculpture that would adorn any collection or interior.
Because of the general illiteracy of the populace, early store owners used descriptive emblems or figures to advertise their shops' wares. American Indians and tobacco had always been associated because American Indians introduced tobacco to Europeans. As early as the 17th century, European tobacconists used figures of American Indians to advertise their shops.
Because European carvers had never seen a Native American, these early cigar-store "Indians" looked more like Africans with feathered headdresses and other fanciful, exotic features. These carvings were called "Black Boys" or "Virginians" in the trade. Eventually, the European cigar-store figure...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Realist Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood, Paint
$3,134 Sale Price
44% Off
LOVE replica sculpture Artist Copyright Indianapolis Museum & Foundation Stamped
Located in New York, NY
Robert Indiana
LOVE (Official Artist Copyright and Foundation Stamp), 2011
Brushed Aluminum sculpture (Red)
Stamped by artist's estate, Stam...
Category
2010s Pop Art Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Pre-Columbian Colima Shaman terracotta figure vessel Mexican sculpture
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Seated Shaman
Colima culture
Mexico
ca. 300 BCE - 300 CE
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A hollow-cast and highly-burnished terraco...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Terracotta
Great Stag by Pierre Yermia - Large animal bronze sculpture, monumental
Located in Paris, FR
Grand Cerf (Great Stag) is a monumental bronze sculpture by French contemporary artist Pierre Yermia.
The strength of the stag's body and its slender legs bestow it with a contradict...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Anticipation - large, rust, female figure, Corten steel outdoor sculpture
By Jason Kimes
Located in Bloomfield, ON
A seated female figure strikes a casual pose, body half turned in this imposing sculpture by American artist, Jason Kimes. This outdoor sculpture is made from coin-sized discs of cor...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Steel
Equilibre Carré (Square Balance) - large, figurative, aluminum outdoor sculpture
By Paul Duval
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Quebecois artist Paul Duval’s engaging contemporary sculptures have garnered an international audience. Forged from aluminum, the highly textured figures often strike a dramatic pose...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Cheval de Marly, Bronze Equestrian Sculpture by Guillaume Coustou
By Guillaume Coustou
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: After Guillaume Coustou, French (1677-1746)
Title: Cheval de Marly
Medium: Bronze Sculpture, signature inscribed
Size: 22 x 19 x 9 in. (55.88 x 48.26 x 22.86 cm)
This be...
Category
Early 20th Century Romantic Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
"Bighorn Sheep" Bas-relief Sculpture
Located in Denver, CO
Dana Younger's (US based) "Bighorn Sheep" is an original, handmade Bas-relief sculpture on Maple and Walnut that depicts a Bighorn Sheep's head in profil...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Maple, Walnut
$240 Sale Price
20% Off
Listening, bronze sculpture, childs portrait, black granite base, green patina
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Listening, bronze sculpture, childs portrait, black granite base, green patina 35 lbs
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Granite, Bronze
KAWS, Companion (black)
By KAWS
Located in Manchester, GB
KAWS, Companion (Black), 2016
Black vinyl figure
6.4 x 11.4 x 26.7 cm (2.5 x 4.5 x 10.5 in)
Open edition
Pristine condition, accompanied with original packaging
KAWS is a New Yo...
Category
2010s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
Between Sky and Earth by Marine de Soos -Bronze sculpture, figurative, spiritual
Located in Paris, FR
Between sky and earth is a bronze sculpture by French contemporary artist Marine de Soos, dimensions are 112 × 29 × 21 cm (44.1 × 11.4 × 8.3 in).
The sculpture is signed and numbere...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
CHROMA aka Rick Wolfryd " Forever " Sculpture from Huichol ALTERATIONS Series
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
ALTERATION ART . . . is a collaboration process between Rick Wolfryd, fine artist and art dealer with over 40 years experience, and various Mexican Huichol artists and Mexican Huicho...
Category
2010s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Glass, Plastic, Mixed Media
Wrestlers VIII by Yann Guillon - Contemporary bronze sculpture, male athletes
By Yann Guillon
Located in Paris, FR
Wrestler VIII is a bronze sculpture by French contemporary artist Yann Guillon, dimensions are 47 × 44 × 29 cm (18.5 × 17.3 × 11.4 in).
This sculpture is signed and numbered, it is ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Nude Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Original 1969 Surrealist Bronze, Marble Sculpture Alma Del Quijote Salvador Dali
Located in Surfside, FL
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) –
Surrealist bronze sculpture by Salvador Dalí depicting an interpretation of the soul of Don Quiote. The sculpture is mounted on...
Category
1960s Surrealist Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble, Bronze
''Water Bird'', Contemporary Bronze Sculpture Portrait of a Water Bird
By Ans Zondag
Located in Utrecht, NL
After studying Fine Art in the Netherlands Ans Zondag (1959) spent several years abroad in order to explore different artistic areas and to establish which ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Eroded Porsche 911 Turbo (White)
Located in London, GB
Daniel Arsham
Eroded Porsche 911 Turbo, 2020
Hydrostone and quartz crystals
8.9 × 30.5 cm
Edition of 500
Daniel Arsham's Eroded series is a striking series of sculptural works that ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stone, Granite
Deep Red glossy ceramic balloon sculpture handmade for wall, ceiling
Located in Tel Aviv, IL
ArtArsouf Contemporary handmade Glossy Red ceramic balloon sculpture. These handmade balloon sculptures can be easily installed on the wall or from the ceiling and are beautiful when...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Clay, Coating, Glaze
Marjolein- 21st Century Bronze Sculpture of a Young Girl
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Marjolein
76 x 26 x 15 cm
Bronze
The theme van der Kraan likes most is to show the growing of young girls. Living in their own world. Like this girl watching...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
KAWS, Small lie (Black)
By KAWS
Located in Manchester, GB
KAWS, Small Lie (Black), 2017
Painted cast vinyl
27.5 x 12.3 x 12.9 cm (4.8 x 5.2 x 10.8 in)
Open edition
Pristine condition in original packaging
KAWS is a New York-based art...
Category
2010s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
Keith Haring Bearbrick 400% figure (Haring BE@RBRICK)
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Keith Haring Bearbrick Vinyl Figures: Set of two (400% & 100%):
A unique, timeless collectible trademarked & licensed by the Estate of Keith Haring. The partnered collectible reveals...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
EDWARD BOHLIN 1920s-1930s SILVER ART PARADE SADDLE HOLLYWOOD WESTERN ARTIST VAIL
By Edward H. Bohlin
Located in San Antonio, TX
Circa Late 1920s - Early 1930s. It is all Bohlin made and marked to include the saddle, the headstall and the breast collar. All made in Hollywood California. The only non-Bohlin item is the bit which appears to also be early California. There is some interesting provenance of the fine saddle. It was commissioned by Charles R. Bell, married to Margaret Vail Bell who was the daughter of Walter Vail. On the Bolin nameplate it has engraved, Vail Ranch as well as made for Charles Bell. Charles Bell Died in 1939.
The Vail Ranch has some great Western History which I will go into a little detail. You see, not only am I selling Saddles, but I’m also selling History.
If you want to skip the history lesson you can just scroll down past the following info to images of the saddle.
It’s no secret that ranching runs in the family blood. There is no greater example of that than California Rangeland Trust CEO Nita Vail. On April 14, 2018 Nita had the opportunity to witness her great-grandfather Walter L. Vail’s induction into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. This high honor is bestowed by the Museum to “exceptional individuals who have made an indelible impact upon the history of the great West.” A pivotal figure in early California and Arizona ranching, Walter Vail joins just over only 200 individuals who have been inducted into this esteemed hall.
The Vail legacy of advocacy and ranching lives on strongly through his descendants, including Nita.
All these years later, Nita carries the mantle of advocacy for ranchers in her own work at the California Rangeland Trust. Reflecting on her great-grandfather’s induction ceremony in Oklahoma, Nita says, “Witnessing my great-grandfather’s induction with family and friends was an incredible experience and a reminder of why I do what I do. Ranching plays an integral role in the culture, economy, and quality of life in California. Generations later, I get to honor Walter L. Vail’s legacy in my work with the California Rangeland Trust every day, preserving those open spaces for new generations and partnering with ranchers to continue to sustain life on the range in California.”
Walter Vail History
A native of Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Walter Vail purchased the 160-acre Empire Ranch southeast of Tucson, Arizona in 1876, along with an Englishman named Herbert Hislop. In 1882, the Empire Land & Cattle Company was formed with Walter L. Vail as principal shareholder. Over the years Vail, along with various partners, expanded the original land holdings to include over one million acres. The year after Walter purchased the Empire Ranch, the Southern Pacific Railroad built a railroad line, which was great news for the Vail family as it provided a means for them to ship their cattle.
Edward L. Vail, George Scholefield and Bird at the mouth of Rosemont Canyon ca. 1896-1898
Standing Up for Ranchers
In the fall of 1889, the Southern Pacific Railroad announced they would raise cattle freight rates by 25 percent. They ignored loud protests from ranchers who had already been hit hard by depressed cattle prices. In response, the Vails made a plan to drive the cattle overland themselves without the railroad. They knew that, if they were successful, they could break the railroad’s monopoly on the ranchers and force prices down.
Walter’s brother Edward Vail and foreman Tom Turner volunteered to drive the almost 1,000 steers on the 300-mile trip to the Warner Ranch in San Diego. The journey ahead would be grueling. Most of their trip was through desert with water sources 15 to 30 miles apart.
The ranchers would face a slew of obstacles—a stampede, a chaotic Colorado River crossing, an encounter with a group of horse thieves. In spite of all the dangers and challenges, they reached their destination. Just 71 days after leaving Arizona, the Empire cowboys arrived at the Warner Ranch. They had only lost 30 steers.
The historic Empire Ranch Trail Drive of 1890 inspired other Arizona ranchers to make similar drives as a stand against the railroad. That fall, a group of Arizona cattlemen met and agreed to fund improvements to establish a safe cattle trail from Tucson to California.
In response to the united stand of the ranchers, sparked by the Vails, the railroad finally agreed to restore the old freight rate—on the condition that the cattlemen would make no more cattle drives.
Walter Vail led by example, but he was also an active representative of ranching interests in the legislature. He served in the 10th Arizona Territorial Legislature in 1878 and in 1884 on the Pima County Board of Supervisors. He introduced two significant bills: One proposing the creation of Apache County in the northeastern corner or Arizona Territory, and the other calling for the repeal and replacement of a Pima County fencing ordinance. Elected to the Arizona Stock Growers Association in 1884, Walter L. Vail advocated for levying fines on outfits that brought diseased cattle into the Territory, proposed a system of recording brands and earmarks, and requested the establishment of the livestock sanitary commission to oversee quarantines on infectious diseases, and tighter trespass laws.
Moving to California
In the late 1880s when a long drought hit Arizona, the Vails began leasing California pastures and shipping increased numbers of their cattle there to fatten. This marked the beginning of Walter’s efforts to purchase land in Temecula Valley.
Vaqueros (Mexican cowboys) at the Empire Ranch in Arizona
In 1890, with growing corporate holdings in California, Walter Vail established his headquarters in downtown Los Angeles and moved his family there. By this time, he had pieced together four Mexican land grants—Pauba Rancho, Santa Rosa Rancho, Temecula Rancho and Little Temecula Rancho—to form the Pauba Ranch. Eventually, the Vails would own more than 87,500 acres surrounding the little town of Temecula. In 1892 they leased Catalina Island and in 1901-1902 in partnership with J. V. Vickers, they purchased most of the interests in Santa Rosa from the estate of A.P. More. In March of 1894, Vail and Gates joined Vickers in setting up a third cattle company, the Panhandle Pasture Company, with the hopes of expanding new markets in the east. The Panhandle Pasture Company bought seven thousand acres of grassland in Sherman County, Texas, and an equal amount across the line in Beaver County, Indian Territory (later Oklahoma).
Walter Vail was tragically killed in a Los Angeles streetcar accident in 1906. After his death, the Empire Land & Cattle Company (later renamed the Vail Company) assumed control of all his ranches and other real estate holdings. Walter had five sons and they would all have a hand in running the various ranches and the Vail Company as whole throughout their lives. The Empire Ranch in Arizona was sold in 1928. The Temecula area ranches continued to operate until it was sold in 1965. Santa Rosa Island, the last of Walter Vail’s holdings, was sold to the National Park Service in 1986, and ranching operations shut down there in 1998.
Walter Lennox Vail (May 13, 1852 - December 2, 1906) was an American businessman, cattle dealer, and politician. He is known for his Empire Land & Cattle Company (later the Vail Company), which spanned over one million acres throughout five states.[1] Vail has been called "a pivotal figure in early California and Arizona ranching."
Early life
Vail was born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia on May 13, 1852, to Mahlon Vail, Sr. and Eliza Vail.
Career
Empire Ranch
The headquarters of the Empire Ranch in the modern day
Vail left his family's Plainfield, New Jersey house in the middle of 1875 to pursue riches in the West. He worked for a few months in Virginia City, Nevada as a mine's timekeeper, but in November he wrote of his intention to get involved in Arizona's sheep business. He, along with an Englishman named Herbert R. Hislop, then purchased the Empire Ranch along with its 612 cattle on August 22, 1876. The purchase from Edward Nye Fish and Simon Silverberg cost $1,174 at the time and was only 0.25 square miles (0.65 km2). Vail had met Hislop for the first time in August of that year, at the Lick House in San Francisco. Vail also became the main shareholder of the Empire Land & Cattle Company, which was formed in 1882.
Politics
Vail additionally served in the House of Representatives on the 10th Arizona Territorial Legislature for two years, starting in 1879. He was one of five representatives from Pima County. There, he proposed the creation of Apache County in the northeast. In 1884, Vail was elected to the Arizona Stock Growers Association, where he introduced many laws relating to cattle farming.
California
Vail moved his main operations to California in the late 1880s due to a long drought in Arizona. He started leasing Californian land mainly in Temecula Valley, but established his headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. By this time, he had already bought four ranches: the northern half of Rancho Little Temecula, Rancho Pauba, Rancho Santa Rosa, and Rancho Temecula. Later, Vail would own over 135 square miles (350 km2) surrounding the city of Temecula. He also leased Santa Catalina Island and Purchased Santa Rosa Island in 1892 and 1901, respectively. Vail, along with Carroll W. Gates and J.V. Vickers, set up the Panhandle Pasture Company, which bought about 22 square miles (57 km2) in Sherman County, Texas and Beaver County, Oklahoma.
Personal life
Vail married Margaret "Maggie"[a] Newhall in 1881, with them having five children: Nathan Russel, Mahlon, Mary, Walter Lennox Jr., and William Banning (who used his middle name) together.
In 1890, a Gila monster bit Vail on his middle finger, and for years thereafter he experienced bleeding and swelling in his throat, which was thought to be caused by the venom from the bite.
Death
Vail died at 54 on December 2, 1906, due to complications from a tram (Trolley Car) accident in Los Angeles. He was cremated, then buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on December 6.
Legacy
Vail's sons took over the company after his death, renaming it to the Vail Company. The Empire Ranch was sold in 1928, and the Temecula ranches were bought by a syndicate of companies, including Kaiser Aluminum, Kaiser Industries, and Macco Realties in 1965. Santa Rosa Island was acquired by the National Park Service in 1986, and ranching ceased in 1998.
Vail was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 2018.[2] Various properties have been named after the Vail family including: Vail Headquarters, an outdoor shopping mall, Vail Lake, and Vail, Arizona.
In 1867, German immigrant, Louis Wolf, and his Chumash wife, Ramona, built a small adobe trading post next to Temecula Creek. Their Wolf Store helped launch the Temecula community, serving as a saloon, livery stable, legal services, hotel, general store, stagecoach stop, post office, school and employment agency. After Louis and Ramona’s deaths, their land and other Ranchos were purchased by Arizona cattle baron Walter Vail. By 1905, the 87,000-acre Vail Ranch became one of the largest cattle operations in California, stretching from Camp Pendleton to Vail Lake to Murrieta. It operated through the late 1970’s when it was sold to build Temecula’s housing. Some of the ranch’s oldest buildings survived in a cluster around the long-vacant Wolf Store. Together they would wait more than 40 years to be restored and once again become a center for community life in the Temecula Valley.
In 1905 after his death, Wolf’s Temecula was purchased by Arizona cattle baron Walter Vail, along with three other Ranchos totaling 87,500 acres. The sprawling Vail Ranch spread from South of Highway 79 to South of Clinton Keith Road, East to Vail Lake Resort and West to Camp Pendleton and continued operations through the late 1970’s when it was sold for housing subdivisions. The remaining buildings that comprised the Vail Ranch Headquarters, several having been demolished, have sat mostly vacant since then awaiting their restoration and re-use.
John N. Harvey, Edward L. Vail, Walter L. Vail, 1879
Ned Joins the Partnership - May 1879
In May of 1879 Walter’s older brother, Edward Lang Vail, known as Ned, joined the Empire Ranch partnership. He had no ranching experience but quickly learned. The Empire Ranch herds were finally sufficiently developed for sale, and the Empire Ranch found a ready market in the town of Tombstone and its nearby mines. Walter finally had sufficient funds to begin to pay off some of the loans from his Uncle Nathan and Aunt Anna.
North end of the original four rooms of the Empire Ranch House.
Empire Ranch Census Records - 1880
The 1880 U.S. Census documents that eight men were living full time at the Empire: the partners, Walter Vail, John Harvey and Ned Vail; John Randolph Vail, Uncle Nathan and Aunt Anna’s son; John Milton Requa, nephew of Isaac Requa who hired Walter in Virginia City; John Dillon, who was instrumental in locating the Total Wreck Mine; Tomás Lopez, a herder; and Mon Ta, the cook.
Section of Official Map of Pima County by Roskruge 1893.
The Southern Pacific Railroad Arrives in Pantano - April 1880
In 1880 the Southern Pacific Railroad finally reached Tucson and by April it was extended to Pantano, north of the Empire Ranch. The availability of rail transportation was a major boom to the Empire Ranch as it was now possible to sell cattle and beef to markets beyond Southern Arizona. The railroad also increased the availability of goods in Tucson and allowed for much quicker and safer transportation to California and the East.
Empire Ranch land acquisitions are highlighted in red. Courtesy of Dave Tuggle
Land Holdings Expand-1881-1882
Starting in 1881 the land holdings of the Empire Ranch expanded considerably. They acquired Charles and Agnes Paige’s Happy Valley Ranch near the Rincon Mountains in 1881. 1882 saw the addition of Don Alonzo Sanford’s Stock Valley Ranch totaling over twenty-eight square miles of grassland between the Whetstone and Empire Mountains.
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