This photo (the only known photo of Billy the Kid), which is the size of a credit card, sold at auction this weekend for $2.6 million:
The photo was taken in 1879 or 1880.
There`s a lot of confusion on the legend of BIlly the Kid. He may have killed 4, 9 or 21 people and all or none may have been in self-defence. My connection to him isn`t intended to glorify the outlaw – more of a connection to a specific time which seems so far ago.
My connection to the man – and his time – can be seen in the photo.
When I hunt, I use a gun almost identical to what he used in the 1800`s. Mine is slightly different and was manufactured in the 1960`s but one of the gentlemen at our food camp hunts with a gun that`s nearly identical and was made in the late 1800`s. It is likely that my gun could use some of the parts with the gun in the photo above – it is more likely that his gun could trade all parts with it.
It is amazing how much technology has developed almost everything around us – yet the primary tool that many of us use in the fall harvest is similar, if not identical, to what was used so long ago. I am struggling to think of anything that has changed less over the same period of time.
The connection may seem like a stretch but it is something we occaisionally talk about when in the woods – the connection our activities have to the past on this land and traditions that outdate us all.
There`s also a design-related angle to the photo above. Historians had examined the photo and concluded for years that he was left-handed based on how he held his rifle and the holster on his left-side. Books and movies were made about the left-handed gun slinger. It turns out that the tin-type image produces a negative (i.e. reverse of what the photographer saw) so those accounts were flawed.
This may seem weird and stalkery of me but I wonder if you know my Dad through your camp? He collects Winchesters and has several from that time period and your hunting posts sound similar to his stories – his name is Pete (same last name as me). If you do my brain would explode in a “wow the world is SMALL” kinda thing and I’d also find it funny as he hates the internet…..
Laughing, the world can indeed be small and not freakish at all Shana.
There are relatively few hunters out there – it wouldn’t be the first co-incidence from this remote land I’ve experienced. My Father’s banker turned out to be the daughter of a hunter in the camp beside us, I ran into a woman I trained business skills to 20 km from pavement and went on a date with a woman who found my previous dog 15 years before our date. The woods are full of mysterious co-incidences.
Although your last name is not immediately familiar, I do know several “Petes” so I’ll send you an email when I can and let you know a bit more about our camp and where we are and see if there’s a connection.
Smiles,
Joel