Posted on 10/12/2015 3:21:46 AM PDT by lowbridge
Western Americana and Rare Coin experts, Kagin’s, Inc., announced that the firm has authenticated and will be the exclusive seller of a newly discovered photograph featuring several of the Lincoln County Regulators, including legendary gunman, Billy the Kid. The photograph was purchased for $2 as a part of a miscellaneous lot at a Fresno junk shop in 2010, and will be the subject of a two-hour documentary airing Sunday, October 18th at 9/8c on National Geographic Channel.
“I love handling great treasure finds!” exclaimed Dr. Donald Kagin, president of Kagin’s, Inc. “This iconic, lively and fun artifact is history in your hand—a snapshot of the life style of one of the most notorious figures of the Wild West.”
The 4x5 inch tintype not only depicts Billy the Kid, but several members of his gang, The Regulators, playing a leisurely game of croquet alongside friends, family, and lovers in the late summer of 1878. Taken just one month after the tumultuous Lincoln County War came to an end, it is a window into the lives of these gunmen as they were still fighting the injustices of a lawless land. It’s a carefree moment after an important life event - a wedding - which is rich in content, movement and texture.
“When we first saw the photograph, we were understandably skeptical - an original Billy the Kid photo is the Holy Grail of Western Americana,” remarked Kagin’s senior numismatist, David McCarthy. “We had to be certain that we could answer and verify where, when, how and why this photograph was taken. Simple resemblance is not enough in a case like this - a team of experts had to be assembled to address each and every detail in the photo to insure that nothing was out of place.
(Excerpt) Read more at madmimi.com ...
LOL! It sounds like the cover of a novel with an unexpected plot twist.
And all dressed up for the croquet game. Not what I expected.
Just wow.
History and historicy create meaning for us.
Touching or seeing things that link us to our past make bridges upon which we can tread.
Which one is Billy?
on the left
That's so .... frikkin' BRITISH !
How long will it take before someone finds the Billy The Kid photo offensive or racist and call for it’s destruction? I’m serious.
In the old days, even outlaws and ditch-diggers looked tidier than the average person now.
Good point.
>>That’s so .... frikkin’ BRITISH !<<
Urbane to say the least.
They should have invented a sort of Colt .45 version — shoot that sucker through the rails!
On the left. He always wore a plain black hat. He was recently shot in the thigh and the way he is standing indicates that it might still have been giving him pain. The house in background is rather ramshackle.
Billy was from New York City. This is a strange setting for a photo, never knew they played croquet out in the Wild West. It would be like seeing a photo of John Gotti playing Space Invaders in some arcade.
The original owner is kicking himself. That would be something I would do.
The far away shot in my post-12 would make a fantastic painting. That is, if done in the old school traditional (realistic) landscape style.
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