"A Doubtful Handshake" Charlie Russell Belt Buckle

Vintage pewter belt buckle depicting western artist Charles Marion Russell's 1910 painting "A Doubtful Handshake." No. 1889 of only 5000 ever produced.

THE STORY

Charlie Russell came to Montana in 1880 to learn to be a cowboy — and that he did. But it was his passion to capture his experiences in paint, wax and ink that created an artistic legacy that passed onto the world.

His love of Montana and the life he observed shaped his art and his personal philosophy. His art is first and foremost that of a storyteller, and it was informed by his remarkable ability to capture the personalities and events of his time and place in the West. For this reason, Charlie knew his subject matter intimately, setting the standard for many Western artists to follow.

He spent part of his early Montana years cowboying in the area surrounding the Circle Bar Guest Ranch.