From the John Fullerton collection

John Fullerton onstage with the Sons of the Pioneers, 2019 — Photo courtesy of Bill Bogwardt

John Fullerton has been fascinated with the Sons of the Pioneers’ history and music since his grandmother brought him to hear the group when he was 7 years old. That fascination has led him to amass a well-known collection of Pioneers memorabilia and knowledge. It also led him to pursue a career in western music, and in 2018 he joined the Sons of the Pioneers as their rhythm guitar player, lead and harmony vocalist, yodeler, and resident historian.

Candid snapshots taken by fans
Publicity photos and production stills
Portraits

Candid snapshots taken by fans

Snapshot of Roy Rogers with fan Marie Spellman, C. 1935 — Bob Nolan with Marie Spellman of Eagle Rock, Sycamore Park c. 1935
Roy Rogers Family Trust

Snapshot of Dolores Gantz and Elizabeth Halliburton Capps with Leonard Slye, C. 1935 — Dolores Gantz and Elizabeth Halliburton Capps with Leonard Slye, Sycamore Park c. 1935
Roy Rogers Family Trust

Snapshot of the Pioneer vocal trio c. 1935: Tim Spencer, Len Slye, and Bob Nolan. — The Pioneer Trio: Tim Spencer, Len Slye, and Bob Nolan, Sycamore Park c. 1935
Roy Rogers Family Trust

Snapshot of Bob Nolan, 1940

Tinted snapshot of bob Nolan, 1940

Bob Nolan, August 4, 1940

Snapshot of Hugh Farr with fan Lillian Nagode, 1940

Snapshot of Karl Farr with fan Lillian Nagode, 1940

Lloyd Perryman with fan Lillian Nagode, 1940

Hugh Farr, Karl Farr, and Lloyd Perryman with fan Lillian Nagode, August 4, 1940

Snapshot of Lloyd Perryman leaning against a palm tree, 1940

Shapshot of Karl Farr in the desert, 1940

Snapshot of Pat Brady striking a tough pose in the desert, 1940

Snapshot of Tim Spencer with a palm tree, 1940

Karl Farr, Lloyd Perryman, Pat Brady, and Tim Spencer, August 4, 1940

Closeup snapshot of Pat Brady in the street, 1940 — Pat Brady, 1940

Snapshot of Bob Nolan in snappy suit with Martha Retsch, 1942 — Martha Retsch and Bob Nolan at the Madison Square Garden Rodeo, New York 1942

Snapshot of Bob Nolan in a sappy suit, 1942 — Bob at Madison Square Garden, 1942

Bob Nolan on stairs outside a stage door with a crowd of fans. Date unknown. — Bob with a crowd. Date unknown.

Snapshot of Bob Nolan on the street — Bob on the street. Date unknown.

Snapshot of Bob, Lloyd, and Karl at a picnic tabl, 1941 — Bob, Pat, Lloyd and Karl
Valley View Park, Pennsylvania, July 20, 1941

Sons of the Pioneers and some fans at a picnic table, 1941 — Left: Bob and Karl with a fan, Helen Schmuck. Right Karl and Pat.
Valley View Park, Pennsylvania, July 20, 1941

The Pioneers at Sleepy Hollow Ranch, Philidelphia, 1942 — Standing: Hugh, Karl and Bob Front: Lloyd, Tim and Pat
Sleepy Hollow Ranch, Quakertown, PA, 1941

The Sons of the Pioneers and some fans at Reed's Ferry New Hampshire, 1941 — Reed's Ferry, NH 1941
(Frances E. Bates photo)

The Pioneers outdoors in Reed's Ferry, New Hampshire, 1941 — Standing: Karl, Tim, Bob and Hugh. Front: Pat and Lloyd. Reed's Ferry, NH 1941
Frances E. Bates photo

Pat Brady with fan Pasty Linton, 1941 — Sleepy Hollow Ranch, PA, 1941
Pat Brady with fan Patsy Linton.

Snapshot of Hugh Farr outside a Western Union office — Hugh Farr

Hugh Farr with fan Patty Linton — Hugh with fan Patsy Linton, New York 1942

Snapshot of Hugh Farr laughing — Hugh

Lloyd Perryman

Snapshot of Martha Retsch and Lloyd Perryman, 1942 — Martha Retsch and Lloyd Perryman
New York city, 1942

Lloyd Perryman and Tim Spencer in suits posing against a wall — Lloyd Perryman and Tim Spencer

Lloyd in a suit leaning against a wall — Lloyd Perryman

Snapshot of an unidentified fan with Pioneers' manager Sam Allen. — Unidentified fan with Pioneers’ manager
Sam Allen.

Sons of the Pioneers with members of their fan club, Madison Square Garden, 1942 — The Sons of the Pioneers with their fan club, 1942, at Madison Square Garden, New York, in Roy Rogers' dressing room.
Martha Retsch is 2nd from front left. Patsy Linton has her arm around Bob. The other ladies were members of Roy Rogers' fan club.

Snapshot of Tim Spencer in a rodeo arena — Tim Spencer

Tim Spencer and Karl Farr before a show — Tim Spencer and Karl Farr

Tim Spencer in a suit, New York 1942 — Tim, New York 1942

Tim

Tim Spencer on the street

Tim Spencer clowning with hands up

Tim Spencer on the street in Boston — Tim in Boston, 1942

Tinted snapshot of the Sons of the Pioneers with Martha Retsch, 1943 — The Sons of the Pioneers with fan club president, Martha Retsch, 1943
(Reverse of this photo is below)

Back of Sons of the Pioneers and Martha Retsch photo with Martha's handwritten notes.

Tinted snapshot of Bob Nolan and Ken Carson, 1943 — Bob Nolan and Ken Carson, 1943

Tinted snapshot of Hugh and Karl Farr — Hugh and Karl Farr, 1943

Tinted snapshot of Tim Spencer and Pat Brady — Tim Spencer and Pat Brady

Snapshot of Pat Brady in the army in a snowy field — Sgt. Patrick Brady, 1945

Sons of the Pioneers talking with Spade Cooley, 1943 — Karl, Tim (unidentified lady, possibly Grace Purdy), Spade Cooley, Bob, Hugh and Ken Carson.

Publicity photos and production stills

1934 poster advertising the Sons of the Pioneers — Hugh Farr, Bob Nolan, Tim Spencer and Leonard Slye, 1934

The Sons of the Pioneers in a publicity photo from the movie "The Big Show." — Standing: Bob Nolan, Tim Spencer and Leonard Slye
Seated: Karl and Hugh Farr

Publicity photo for Farley's Gold Star Rangers c. 1936 — Hugh Farr, Len Slye, Jimmy Masters, Lloyd Perryman, Bob Nolan & Karl Farr, c. 1936

Publicity photo of Farley's Gold Star Rangers, c. 1936 — Back: Karl & Hugh Farr Front: Len Slye, Lloyd Perryman & Bob Nolan, c. 1936

Publicity photo of the trial scene from the movie "The Cattle Raiders", 1938 — 1938

Publicity photo of Charles Starrett and the Sons of the Pioneers from the movie "Cattle Raiders", 1938 — Charles Starrett, Iris Meredith, Pat, Karl, Don Grayson, Lloyd, Hugh and Bob, 1938

Publicity photo of Charles Starrett, the Pioneers, and other cast members from "Cattle Raiders," 1938 — Standing: Charles Starrett, Edward LeSaint, Don Grayson, unidentified
Mounted: Pat, Lloyd, Hugh, Bob and unidentified., 1938

Publicity photo of Charles Starrett singing with the Pioneers from the movie "The Colorado Trail," 1938 — Pat, Hugh, Lloyd, Charles Starrett, Bob and Karl, 1938

Promo photo of Charles Starrett and the Pioneers playing their instruments and singing, 1938 — Back: Hugh, Lloyd; Front: Bob, Pat and Charles Starrett, 1938

Promo photo of the Sons of the Pioneers on horseback from the movie "West of Santa Fe," 1938 — Karl, Pat, Hugh, Lloyd and Bob in West of the Santa Fe, 1938

Publicity photo of the Pioneers on the Sunshine Ranch radio show set, 1939 — Lloyd, Hugh, Pat, Karl, Bob and Tim
Sunshine Ranch radio show, 1939

Publicity photo of the Pioneers from the movie "Spoilers of the Range," 1939 — From Spoilers of the Range, 1939

Charles Starrett, Iris Meredith, and the Pioneers in a publicity photo from Spoilers of the Range, 1939 — Standing: Bob, Lloyd and Pat. Seated: Hugh, Tim and Karl. Front: Charles Starrett and Iris Meredith
From Spoilers of the Range, 1939

Publicity photo from the movie "Spoilers of the Range" of the Pioneers lounging in front of a tree, 1939 — Standing: Lloyd, Pat and Bob. Reclining: Tim, Hugh and Karl. 1939

Publicity photo of the Pioneers, Iris Merdith, and Charles Starrett in the movie "The Man from Sundown", 1939 — Back: Karl, Hugh, Bob, Lloyd, Tim and Pat. Front: Iris Meredith and Charles Starrett
From The Man from Sundown, 1939

Pat Brady singing with guitar, with the Pioneers, Iris Meredith, and Charles Starrett in "The Man From Sundown," 1939 — Back: Hugh, Charles, Iris and Bob. Front: Pat, Karl, Lloyd and Tim.
From The Man from Sundown, 1939

Publicity photo of the Pioneers singing and playing around a campfire from "Blazing Six Shooters," 1940 — Tim, Lloyd, Charles Starrett, Hugh, Pat, Karl and Bob
From "Blazing Six Shooters,” 1940

The Pioneers posing around a car on the set of "West of Abilene," 1940 — Tim, Bob, Hugh, Pat, Lloyd and Karl during shooting of West of Abilene, 1940

The Sons of the Pioneers prepare to throw Pat Brady into the air — Pat needs assistance.
From West of Abilene, 1940

Promo photo of the Pioneers working on a musical number for "West of Abilene" — Back: Hugh and Pat. Front: Lloyd, Tim, Karl and Bob. During shooting of West of Abilene, 1940

Karl Farr in a wagon, Charles Starrett and the rest of the Sons of the Pioneers in the background. — Charles Starrett, Pat, Lloyd, Hugh, Bob, Tim and Karl
From "Thundering Frontier", 1940

Portraits

Bob Nolan in Charles Starrett-like western wear. — Bob Nolan, c. 1938

Bob Nolan in a black hat, 1939 — Bob c. 1939

Bob in a smiling pose, 1943 — Bob c. 1943

Tinted promo photo of Bob from looking contemplative — Bob, from Hands Across the Border, 1944

Inscription from the reverse of the above 1944 photo of Bob. — Reverse of previous 1944 photo

Portrait of Hugh Farr playing his fiddle — Hugh Farr

Portrait of Karl Farr with guitar over his shoulder — Karl Farr

Closeup of Tim Spencer — Tim Spencer

Closeup of Tim with guitar — Tim Spencer

Closeup of Lloyd Perryman — Lloyd Perryman c. 1940

Closeup of smiling Lloyd Perryman — Lloyd Perryman c. 1950

Signed photo of Lloyd Perryman with his guitar in 1938 — Lloyd Perryman c. 1938

Closeup of Pat Brady in a black hat, 1943 — Pat Brady, from Song of Texas, 1943

Pose of Pat Brady in a straw hat and cowboy garb — Pat Brady, from Man from Music Mountain, 1943

Pat Brady looking goofy and playing his bass — Pat Brady, a.k.a. “Truthful Jones”

Pat Brady waving from his jeep "NellyBelle" — Pat Brady and Nellybelle c. 1953

Pat Brady astride a toy horse — Pat Brady on a wild stallion