Old Tucson History Up For Bid Until May 27

TUCSON, AZ — Relics and artifacts from Old Tucson's Hollywood days are now up for auction until May 23. Some of the pieces include props from the many western films, sketches and scripts of the iconic characters, their costumes and dozens of other trinkets.

It's part of a massive collection of more than 600 items from classic Hollywood RR Auction is taking bids on now. Of of those items, 75 come from the collection of Old Tucson founder's Robert Shelton, who died in 2016.

His widow, Carolyn Shelton, has given the collection to RR Auction at his wishes but only because he wasn't able to get enshrined in a museum, the Arizona Daily Star reports.

Shelton's vision of a western theme park began back in 1958 when he bought the land where Old Tucson sits now. The site transformed into a destination for western-themed movies in the 1960s, providing the set for more than 300 movies. When a fire devastated Old Tucson in 1995, making these surviving items extremely rare.

Some of the pieces include a collection of five movie posters promoting the Three Amigos.

Another gem includes a 1966 Winchester Centennial used by actor John Wayne in the 1970 film, Rio Lobo.

Concept sketches of from the film El Dorado are also up for bid, including looks for characters Bull Harris and Howard Hawks.

Bids for many of the pieces started out on Friday at $200. The bidding closes on May 23.

Among the numerous films filmed at Old Tucson are: Gunfight at the OK Corral (1956), Cimarron (1959), four John Wayne films: Rio Bravo (1959) McClintock (1963), El Dorado (1966), and Rio Lobo (1970) and Tombstone (1993). Cult classic Old West sixties and seventies TV shows Little House on the Prairie, Gunsmoke and High Chaparral also called Old Tucson home.