Central States, Lawman and Outlaws Historic Association

"This is a known published authenticated photograph of Catherine Haroney who became "Big Nose Kate", Doc Holliday's girlfriend for many years. The photograph was discovered by Glenn G. Boyer and given to him by the Haroney/Marquis family. Glenn gave it to me in the 1970's. Carherine Haroney is seated on the left. Standing is her younger sister. This is an early CDV image. It has no photographer's mark. Glenn Boyer was a second father to me from 1979 until his death. I loved him dearly as did my wife and son."

-Emory Cantey

Mary Katherine Horony Cummings (November 7, 1849 – November 2, 1940), better known as Big Nose Kate, was a Hungarian-born American outlaw, gambler, prostitute and longtime companion and common-law wife of Old West gambler and gunfighter Doc Holliday.

If There's any western celebrity that Hollywood has modified to fit various ideas and roles in the lives of Doc Holliday and the Wyatt Earp story, it's was the enigmatic "Big Nose Kate." However. Katherine did not get her nick-name because she had a big nose, she had actually earned that moniker because she had a tendency of sticking her nose in other people's business.

She has been described as "Tough, stubborn and fearless", She was apparently educated, but chose to work as a prostitute. Though during the time period, it made sense for many frontier women to take up the sex trade, for lack of other means to make a steady living on the open frontier. It may have also afforded Kate the independence to move freely from cow- town to cow- town. She is by all accounts, the only woman with whom Holliday was known to have had a relationship.

Hollywood Portrayals

There are two memorable Hollywood movies that gave Big Nose Kate the limelight, one was "The Gun Fight at The OK Corral" (1957) , The other movie is of course Tombstone. In the 1957 version Kate is played by actress Jo Van Fleet, who plays the part of Kate Fisher, (Big Nose Kate by another name?). In one scene, Kate, Seeing Doc , (played by the great actor Kirk Douglas), in a bar, follows Holliday tohis room, where a huge argument erupts between the two frontier hot-heads, all while Holliday throws knives at the door - nearly hitting her as she brings up Holliday's once-prominent family. This hot mix of deep sexuality and domestic violence story line reappears in the movie Tombstone, where Doc, played by actor Val Kilmer, is the obvious friend, lover and pugilist with Big Nose Kate played by actress Joanna Pacula, who does a great job of recreating Kate, Hungarian accent included.