Rare Tintype of Billy The Kid To Go Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Feb 17th 2011 at 8:01PM

The image above depicts one of the Old West's most infamous bad guys. This rare tintype of Billy the Kid is believed to be the only survivor of four that were created when he posed for the picture in a Fort Sumner, New Mexico, gambling hall in late 1879 or early 1880. This shot often accompanies stories about Billy the Kid and is believed to be one of the only authenticated images of the young outlaw. It will be auctioned on June 25 at Brian Lebel's Old West Show and Auction at the Denver Merchandise Mart where it could bring between $300,000 and $400,000. The tintype passed through the family of one of Billy's rustler partners, Dan Dedrick and is sometimes called the Upham tintype after the Dedrick's grand-nephew, Frank Upham and his descendants.

It has only been publicly displayed once, during the mid-1980s, at the Lincoln County Heritage Trust Museum in Lincoln, New Mexico for about three years. At that time rumors surfaced that the exposure had darkened the image but Lebel says that is not true. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported that Lebel asserts that the tintype has been stored in a a nitrogen-filled envelope and kept in a safe-deposit box.

Billy the Kid, who was also known as William H. Bonney, Henry Antrim and Henry McCarty, is a paradoxical figure in American culture, an outlaw and killer who is also seen as a folk hero. This image, showing a young, pale-eyed man with a soft face but wearing a gun and bullets around his waist is part of that mythology. It could end up in a museum but there are also likely plenty of single collectors eager to get their hands on a piece of American history.

At the tail end of 2010, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said he would not pardon Billy the Kid because the historical record about another governor's promise to do so is ambiguous. Descendants of Sheriff Pat Garrett, the lawman who killed Billy the Kid in 1881 had lobbied against the pardon. Our sister site Politics Daily reported that New Mexico Governor Lew Wallace may have reneged on a promise in 1879 to pardon the Kid in exchange for testimony he gave about a killing he'd witnessed. Richardson had considered pardoning Billy the Kid for the murder of Sheriff Bill Brady and was convinced that Wallace had in fact offered the pardon back then. But he later decided not to because it wasn't clear why Governor Wallace had backed off the original deal.

Tags: American History, Billy The Kid, Old West, Photography, Tintype

Filed under: Auctions

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

vendelavee Feb 19th 2011 7:46AM

It's rediculous how our culture makes heroes out of murderes.

William Feb 19th 2011 1:37PM

Hell, today Ca. producers give TV shows to murderers. Like the "DOG" and his 3/4 ton wife Beth. Back in those days, only a small handfull of people actually died for their crimes. Mostly because of who they shot, not because they killed someone.
Most notorious sherriff's became so, because they was fast drawing cold killers. Including "Garrett" shot double crossed his buddy for fame and cash. Cowardly shooting him in the back.
Most 5 cent novels made killers hero's up to Al Capone days...
Case of Bonnie and Clyde, proves the point!!
Bankers was ok targets and they are 80 times worse now, ripping off Americans for their greed. But the Gov. protects them as much as each other. Otherwise every bank would be robbed daily, as most financial institutions (99.9%) is nothing BUT GOV./State sponsored theives from hard working Americans. Not to mention, most government officials are more crim inal than those convicted and sentenced to jail for what they do every day we pay them to work!!!!

barham619 Feb 19th 2011 6:17PM

William, you are a very ignorant person for comparing Duane "Dog" Chapman to Billy the Kid. "Dog" and another man were purchasing drugs from a drug dealer in 1976. The man he was with killed the drug dealer. "Dog" was convicted of murder, because at the time of his conviction accessory to murder was not a legal term in Texas. He has spoken of this MANY times on his show. He has the courage to admit it. Watch the show sometime and you will see that each and every time he tries talking to the people he arrests, trying to help them turn their life around. I think he is to be applauded for bringing criminals to justice and helping them as best he can.

whackajig Feb 20th 2011 12:53AM

It is ridiculous that ignorant folks are permitted to post on this site.

vendelavee Feb 19th 2011 7:47AM

It's rediculous how our culture makes heroes out of murderers.

havetafish1 Feb 19th 2011 8:22AM

It's ridiculous how you spell.

Hi Todd Feb 19th 2011 10:05AM

Goot one!

Daddy Feb 19th 2011 2:04PM

yea it is I thought my 5 yr old niece had typed that

dakingrico Feb 19th 2011 8:40AM

Drop in on the small town of Lincoln NM sometime.
It's a great piece of history frozen in a time when if the law & powers that be were in the wrong, the people could & would straighten them out (in a coffin).
You can visit the home where Billy stayed when the jail wasn't safe (it's a B&B) & you can spend the night in "The Kid's " room, sit on the front porch where true justice was discussed as the counrty was expanding and growing into the great nation it became & is trying to remain today in spite of the governments self indulging incompetence.

babytwoishere Feb 19th 2011 11:27AM

And where talks of taking Indian Land were held and how many Indians had been killed or needed to be killed????

cannonball Feb 19th 2011 8:41AM

Looks like Mr. Rogers gone bad in that sweater

Stephen Feb 19th 2011 8:43AM

Is this picture backwards? If you look at the rifle, the port is on the left hand side. I don't think that is correct.

Murder is murder, no pardon is deserved just because it is fashionable to root for the bad guy.

DJSBuick Feb 19th 2011 9:13AM

Tintypes are generally "mirror images". That's why the picture looks "flipped". I've read so many conflicting stories about Billy the Kid that I don't know WHAT to believe. Only Billy himself knows the truth and he ain't coming back, so..............

Engelun Feb 19th 2011 3:12PM

Yes I believe the photo is backwards. If you look at the winchester rifle the place to load shells is on the left side of the gun. In reality the rifle loads on the right side.

mick9z Feb 19th 2011 6:16PM

Ummmm, I don't think Billy the Kid cares whether or not a pardon is granted. Afterall, he's DEAD! LOL

J.T. Feb 19th 2011 10:04PM

You are absolutely right...I noticed that too!!

Kevin Feb 19th 2011 10:15PM

The image is reversed, this is how the incorret legend of Billy the Kid being left-handed began. This image appears to show that he is left-handed but the picture is reversed (as you can tell from the loading port on the gun being on the wrong side)