Official Site of True West Magazine, Since 1953

Sallie Chisum's Collection of Ferrotypes

I've found Sallie Chisum's personal/private collection of tintypes and carte de visits. They came from Sallie's relatives who moved to Oregon after Walter Pitzer Chisum's death in 1919. Over time the family pretty much lost interest in their history and sold off much of that they had from the old days in a yard sale. I found the pictures in a little antique store and bought them.

Most of the images are of Sallie's family including she and her first husband, their children and her brothers, cousins and John S... There are also images of Sallie's female friends including Lily Casey, Helena and Phoebe Coe, and even Buck Powell's wife Eliza Jane Hestor. Collection includes many Regulators, including Billy, Tom Folliard, Doc Scurlock, Joe Smith, John Jones, maybe Big Jim French, Juan Patron, and maybe Iginio Salazar. We even see Alexander McSween, Godrey Gauss, Sheriff Brady and Dirty Dave Rudabaugh.

Book follows.

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Permalink Reply by Leman Saunders on February 1, 2012 at 8:53am

Sorry Steve but I am willing to place good money on it that those 2 of yours are of 2 different people, 1 of which I would say could be Billy.

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Permalink Reply by Steve McCarty on February 1, 2012 at 11:19am

Well, you can bet all you want Leman, but my two pictures came from the same place, Sallie Chisum's personal collection. It is not like I just stumbled across them. I am pretty sure that the picture of the older Kid was taken in his cell at Las Vegas on the morning of the 27th of December before he boarded the train to Santa Fe. That morning Garrett and his posse ate breakfast. The kid was unshackled so that he could put on his new suit. Rudabaugh and Billy Wilson were given one too. Wilson was allowed to wander around, but Rudabaugh was locked down. I have pictures of all three men, taken I believe, at the same time. Rudabaugh is in a jail cell too.

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Permalink Reply by Steve McCarty on February 1, 2012 at 11:22am

Here's that pic of the kid in jail again. You can see he has aged some, and is starting to lose his hair. Wonderful clear blue eyes, lips closed over buck teeth, wavy brown hair and new suit. He was fond of that watch and chain. I think someone has it, as I've seen a picture of it, but can't find one now. Can anyone out there help me find it? This is exactly what the original tintype looks like, so it is a mirror image. Billy parted his hair on the left side, which was typical for men of that era. Women parted theirs on the right, if not in the middle.

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Permalink Reply by Steve McCarty on February 1, 2012 at 12:07pm

This picture of the kid was taken about seven months prior to his death, so this is about what he looked like when Garrett plugged him. I think he looks older than 21, but the past few years have been hard ones and he aged. He is leaner than in the other pic. Not many wrinkles. Reporters wrote that he was cheerful when captured. He looks okay to me.

I am positive this is Billy Bonney folks and what a nice picture it is! Sallie Chisum owned this picture and passed it down to her niece. The collection was forgotten and sold in a yard sale. I found it and bought it. What are the chances!?

Permalink Reply by Dolan on February 3, 2012 at 5:04pm

Yes Steve, what are the chances? Simply intriguing. By the way Steve, what compels you to have two different profiles with two different images from your collection?