mojaveman
10-13-2015, 11:00
A recently authenticated original photograph of Old West outlaw Billy the Kid was bought in a junk store in Fresno, CA for $2.00 and has now been valued at 5 million dollars. The image shows William Bonney playing croquet with other members of the Lincoln County regulators.
Wow.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/13/billy-the-kid-croquet-junk-shop-two-dollars
Team Sergeant
10-13-2015, 11:34
I knew that store owner was lowballing me!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A link in that article sent me to this interview with western artist Thom Ross:
http://juliarobb.com/blog/thom-ross/
Here's a taste:
Q. Croquet???? Why have you painted indians holding croquet mallets?
A. I have either photographic OR eye-witness proof that Indians played ping-pong, croquet (Modocs – Quapaw Agency, OK. Nov. 1873), golf and baseball.
Same with outlaws playing croquet and cowboys playing golf (their golf bags hanging over their saddle horns!)
So if I can verify it, then I can paint it…I never make something up because I think it’s cute.
But I did a painting of Indians playing ping-pong and this dip-shit guy walks in off the street and verbally attacks ME for showing his “native Americans” in such a foolish scene.
He had no way of knowing that I had the photograph of them actually PLAYING ing-pong…..this is the kind of PC bullshit I have to deal with…..if it goes against the MYTH then we must destroy it, and the myth here is that Indians don’t have fun!
Stunning……but there is a very famous photo of Custer and Libbie having lunch in Kansas, 1867, and you can see the croquet mallets and balls right there by the tent.
Interesting dude.
Pat