American Historical Ephemera & Photography

Pair of cdvs, one of James Fisk, Jr., the other Edward Stiles. James Fisk was also known as “Big Jim” or “Diamond Jim,” and was one of the “robber barons” of the late 19th century. Edward Stiles Stokes had been a business partner of Fisk in the world of stockbrokers. After Stiles ran off with Fisk’s mistress, the couple tried to blackmail Fisk for large amounts of money. Fisk did not “bite,” so Stokes confronted him in Jan. 1872 and shot Fisk twice, in the arm and abdomen. The second wound was fatal the following day, but not before Fisk identified his killer. It took three trials to make a charge of manslaughter stick, for which Stiles served just four of a six-year sentence.

5 x 7”” photo of Thomas (“Tom”) Horn, Jr. (1860-1903). Horn left home at 16 after suffering years of abuse at the hands of his father and worked whatever jobs were available in the southwest – scout, cowboy, soldier, range detective, and, likely, hired gun. He was convicted of the murder of Willie Nickell and hanged for it. Some don’t believe he killed Willie, but others point out he probably did kill about a dozen others. 

8 x 10” composite of J. Edgar Hoover and the first man he arrested, Alvin Karpis, as Karpis was about to be released after serving 32 years of a life term. Both are shown in 1936 photos about the time of the Karpis arrest. 

7-1/2 x 9” copy photo of six men standing by a coach and a seventh man (driver) on the seat. The six standing men are numbered and there is a key to their identities. The 3rd is Alber Horsley, alias Harry Orchard, who murdered 26 men. The original photograph was signed by Horsley in the lower right corner. Others in the photo are associated with the penitentiary (warden, guard) and a Pinkerton body guard. 

6-1/2 x 8-12” image of Waxey Gordon getting change to get on the subway after leaving Leavenworth Prison, having spent seven years there. Like many others in the early part of the 20th century, he was arrested for tax evasion.

8 x 10” composite image of “Ma” Barker and her sons and boyfriend.

Pair of photos: 4-12 x 6-1/2” of stagecoach with H.H. Hampton driving, and “Blackjack Hugh” sitting behind him. The stage was held up by the Ruggles Brothers in 1896. They were later captured and hanged for the crime, having also shot three people during the hold-up. The second image, 4 x 6-1/4” shows the Ruggles brothers handing from trees.

Copy print of “Old Lincoln Co. C.H. & Jail / Scene of Billy the Kid’s escape, Lincoln N. Mex.”

Copy print of three men hanging. The background is hand-hewn logs. Approx. 3-1/2 x 5-1/2”.

8 x 10” photo of a scaffold with men fitting the noose around a prisoner. The background is a brick wall. This one has a manuscript copyright notice in the negative.

Pair of photos supposedly re-enacting a stagecoach robbery. However, one of them has about 20 people in front of the stagecoach. They would not have all fit in the one vehicle. It is not clear WHICH stagecoach robbery this re-enacts. The second image is smaller, 4-1/2 x 7-1/2”. This is a bit more realistic, with only a half-dozen or so people holding up their hands.

10-1/2 x 14” cardstock page with four 3-1/4 x 4-3/4”photos mounted on the page, all with men hanging or just cut down from hanging. The live individuals appear to be non-American (Turkish??)

Plus a loose photo 4 x 6” of fur men hanging in a barn, labeled “Miller,” “Allen,” “Burwell” and “West.” “Jim Miller, Joe Allen, B.B. Burwell, and Jesse West, executed by hanging, April 19, 1909, for the murder of City Marshal A.A. Bobbitt. This photograph is part of the collection entitled: Oklahoma Historical Society Photograph Collection and was provided by the Oklahoma Historical Society to The Gateway to Oklahoma History,…” [gateway.okhistory.org]