#8: Annie Oakley, Circa 1899
Annie Oakley is one of the most famous sharpshooters in American history. Most of us know about Annie Oakley thanks to the famous play Annie Get Your Gun, but she was a very real person. It might surprise some that there are photographs and film reels of Annie that still survive to this day. This 1899 photograph shows Annie Oakley shooting over her shoulder using a small hand mirror.
This over-the-shoulder trick was part of her act in the famous Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. Annie was an extremely skilled sharpshooter who was the highest-paid performer in the show next to Buffalo Bill himself. She also offered marksman lessons to women because she strongly supported female self-defense. Overall, this fascinating and artistic photo is just as interesting as the woman herself.