For as long as there have been horses and riders, there have been saddles and saddlemakers. But no one, to date, has achieved quite the cachet of Edward H. Bohlin (1895-1980). From his humble beginnings as a 15-year old runaway from Orebro, Sweden, with aspirations of becoming an apprentice silversmith, to his eventual reputation of "Saddlemaker to the Stars," Bohlin’s tale exemplifies the American Dream.

Unable to find an apprenticeship, Bohlin came to America, arriving in New York in 1910, where he applied for citizenship, and promptly headed west for Montana. There he found work, first as a wrangler, then as a ranch hand and as a cowboy on long cattle drives.

In 1917, Bohlin moved to Cody, Wyo., where he worked on a ranch owned by Buffalo Bill, and also at the Pitchfork Ranch, owned by photographer Charles Belden. He also opened his first silver and saddle shop across from the Irma Hotel, which had been built by Buffalo Bill in 1902. It was at this shop that Bohlin began perfecting his skills working with leather and silver. He created several pieces for Belden, and his reputation as an artist and craftsman began to grow.

Bohlin eventually moved to Hollywood, where he entered show business via the vaudeville circuit as a trick rider and roper. "That vaudeville act eventually gave Bohlin an unexpected break," said George Pitman, a longtime collector of Bohlin silver parade saddles.

"I first met Edward Bohlin in 1968 at his Highland Avenue shop in Los Angeles, and enjoyed hearing his stories about his colorful life," said Pitman. "According to Edward, while he was performing at the Los Angeles Pantages Theatre in 1922, he heard a loud voice call out from the audience. "Hey kid! What do you want for the coat?" The fellow was referring to Bohlin’s personally made coat of black, white and tan calfskin. "Thirty-five dollars," Bohlin supposedly yelled back. When Edward returned the following night, the coat was gone from his dressing room. In its place was a $35 check with Tom Mix’s picture and name on it.

"In those days, Tom Mix was not just a cowboy star; he was one of Hollywood’s most popular actors," explained Pitman. "So, when Mix purchased other silver and leather items, including a pair of Bohlin’s cowboy boots, and encouraged him to sell to other cowboy stars and the studios, Edward listened. He gave notice to the vaudeville troupe and looked for a place to set up shop in Hollywood.

"Since Tom Mix was his first customer, many other film stars soon followed suit, and before long, Edward had a vast Hollywood clientele–this was, after all, the heyday of the cowboy movie. Soon, every successful Western star had to have Bohlin equipment for personal appearances, parades and the movies themselves. He was very proud of this connection; he had many photographs of Hollywood stars lining his walls," said Pitman.

Bohlin also designed and produced most of the silver-mounted parade saddles used in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., an annual event that Pitman has had the opportunity to ride in -- on his own Bohlin silver parade saddle. "In all, between 1923 and 1980, the Bohlin Shop designed, produced and sold more than 12,000 saddles, most of which were extensively adorned with sterling silver ornamentation, yet every one has exquisite craftsmanship," said Pitman. "They were made for riding clubs, for the rich, and for royalty."

Today, Bohlin saddles are commanding top dollar, something that isn’t necessarily good news for Pitman. "I am paying two to three times more for a saddle than I did six or seven years ago," he lamented. Nevertheless, Pitman continues to seek out silver saddles, carefully researching the old membership directories of parade groups, noting that, "This is more cost effective than buying at auction, and by meeting with the families and/or former owners, I’m also able to establish provenance."

The importance of provenance is something Pitman learned about while working as an independent saddle appraiser for Christie’s. "The auction house experience taught me something: value is based on condition, rarity, beauty and provenance. That is now my criteria and I always talk to the family, and build the saddle’s provenance with authenticated supporting documents and photographs."

Pitman’s experience as an independent appraiser also put him in touch with fakes in the marketplace. "There are some sellers that will say a saddle is an unmarked Bohlin, which is just nonsense," said Pitman. "Bohlin marked everything he made, often in several places. He was a great craftsman, but he also had an enormous ego. Bottom line: if it’s not marked, it wasn’t made by Edward H. Bohlin.

"The other problem can be with condition," said Pitman. "Paraders often added silver that wasn’t in concert with the original, or padded the seats. For purists, such as me, these saddles need to be carefully restored back to their original condition."

Original condition certainly pays dividends. Consider the case of an all-original condition Bohlin-made tooled brown leather and silver parade saddle, with matching bridle, which sold to a private museum in San Diego for $97,750 (all prices include buyer’s premium) at the 17th Annual Cody Old West Auction in June 2006.

"Bolin saddles always bring top dollar," said Cody show organizer Brian Lebel. "During the 1920s and 30s, riding clubs were very popular, especially in California, and riders wanted saddles that copied the big names of the time, like Tom Mix or Gene Autry. Edward H. Bohlin was known as the Saddlemaker to the Stars, and those who could afford Bolin, bought Bohlin.

"What made this particular saddle so desirable was the color–brown is much rarer than black–and the condition–it was like new, and was actually still in the original shipping crate. The same saddle, in black, and well used, would likely have brought $25,000-$30,000."

Another Bohlin saddle highlight at the 2006 Cody sale included a Dick Dickson Special black parade saddle with silver trim, which had the dubious distinction of being at producer’s George Spahn’s movie studio/ranch during the Charles Manson murders. It sold for $34,500.

So, what does the future hold for this Western collectible? Pitman believes the market for Bohlin parade saddles is still undervalued, noting that, "Bohlin was the Tiffany of saddlemakers, and his saddles have gone from the tack room to the living room. They are starting to transcend Western memorabilia, and are now being (rightfully) recognized as works of art. That’s what Bohlin always intended. He would be proud to know that his legacy lives on."