Sallie Chisum's Collection of Ferrotypes

[Steve McCarty]

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.

[Marie Bartholomew]

Hi again.  Any pictures you have of Sallie's mom I would love to see.  Also, any of her uncles as well.  Thanks.

[Steve McCarty]

Marie, I have Ara J. Wright and I think her father.  Don't know who the old boy is, but he doesn't look like a Chisum to me.  I found it in the Chisum trunk which is made of Ara V. and Inez Chisum artifacts (mother and daughter).  Anyway, here is Ara Josephen Wright:

[Marie Bartholomew]

Her father is my brick wall...James Gillenwater Wright.  If you have a picture....PLEASE!

[Steve McCarty]

BTW: I see Ara's father as  being a Dr. Wright. Is that right?  I'll get the image to your tomorrow.  Wife is calling me for dinner.

[Marie Bartholomew]

Yes, he was a doctor.  I have a lot of information on him, but not his parentage.  Can't wait to see the pic.  Interesting you mention William & Lina.  Just this last Sunday I cleaned their headstone.  They are buried in Grandview here in Glendale, CA.  The cemetery has fallen on bad times.  You can read about it online.  Took me 30 minutes to clear the grass off and around their headstone. Picture is on find a grave.  This Sunday I will go back to clean thier daughters.

[Steve McCarty]

Here is a charming picture of William and Lina. It is a detail of a much larger image.  It is nice that you are caring for their graves.  Look how much they loved oneanother!  My records show only one daughter.  John S. Chisum's sister's name was Mary Ann Chisum Johnson.  The women with child may be her.  Lina's dad was Robert Tucker, a CW vet.  I show one daughter of Willi and Lina: Josephine Branch, born July 25, 1889. (from my copius notes LOL)

Here they are:

[Steve McCarty]

Here is a copy of a dag. that I found within the Chisum relatives close by.  No telling who this bloke is but the provenance sure is good!  Within the same trunk I found a first edition of "The Saga..." inscribed to Inez S. Chisum by her brother, Dr. Oscar H. Simpson...so it is Chisum stuff.

[Steve McCarty]

Looks to me that Mary Branch inherited this guy's ear.  It is an amazing picture isn't it!  Looks like the fellow is standing by the gates to Heaven looking back at us.  Original is on glass, I think it's a daguerreotype.  Course that's a reflection of my camera back there, but it sure made a neat effect. I took this in a basement and there was a bald overhead lightbulb, thus the white dot.  Anyway, I love the image.

[Marie Bartholomew]

I'd love to believe this was James G, however he died in 1842-3.  From my research, it wasn't until 1856 that tintype was prevelent in the United States..your thought?

 

[Steve McCarty]

Here is another picture that I found with the old man's.  Have no idea who this is, but I suspect it is John S's mother.  Baby might be him, but it is a guess.  Provenance however is perfect.  Identity isn't.

[Steve McCarty]

The picture of the old gent is not a tintype!  It is a much earlier photo. However, as I said, I do not know who he is.  I did however, find him with lots of other Chisum related info/stuff; so whoever he was, he is likely a Chisum, Wright, or Johnson.

[Marie Bartholomew]

Could you post the Ara Josephine& Mary Branch photo again? When I went to Rozwell, all her collection was in boxes (many years ago) except the diarys, (missing the first one)they were under lock and key in artesia.I had to sweet talk my way to those boxes.

I remember reading a part where she talked about William Bonney riding into her camp.  The 2nd diary started with her talking about her mother, as in finishing up a lineage she had started.  I feel the first diary may have contained the info I needed.

I was also told at Artesia, the files had been opened to researchers filming the movie Chisum and many items were lost.  That is just heresay.  I still contend that because of her copius writings, she DID collect family info and what you have is the real deal.