The Gunfighters.

June 13, 2009 5:37 PM

Lea F. McCarty painted portaits of Old West killers.In 1959 he collected twenty of his paintings, each paired with an essay, in a book called The Gunfighters.

Joaquin Murrietta ^
Jesse James ^
Wild Bill Hickok ^
Bill Longley ^
Ben Thompson ^
King Fisher ^
Jim Courtright ^
John Wesley Hardin ^
Wyatt Earp ^
Doc Holliday ^
Clay Allison ^
Bat Masterson ^
Luke Short ^
Old Man Clanton ^
John Ringo ^
Curly Bill ^
Mysterious Dave Mather ^
Pat Garrett ^
Billy the Kid ^
Calamity Jane ^

posted by Bookhouse (12 comments total)

John Ringo's apricot ascot deserves a post of its own.
posted by munchingzombie at 5:57 PM on June 13 [1 favorite has favorites]

I'm the proud owner of a hardcover of this book, I suspect it isn't a first edition, but I'm going to dig it up and see if it is, just for fun. Thanks for the post. I have had the pleasure of waving around a Navy Colt from the gunfighter era... heavy iron.
posted by Divine_Wino at 6:06 PM on June 13

I wonder where the essays are.

Do you know when these were painted? Were the men living and sitting (thus collected later)?
posted by klangklangston at 6:34 PM on June 13

Klang - Check the The Gunfighters link, you'll find all the essays. They were painted in the 20th century, unfortunately.
posted by Bookhouse at 6:40 PM on June 13

I had to go dig my copy of this up. I love the back page (I've got a paperback 1991 copy) that has photos of famous guns, like Wyatt Earp's Buntline Special (which didn't exist) and the Hammond Bulldog pistol that killed Big Nosed Kate (which it didn't). I do love the paintings. Doc Holliday's eyes are really striking in his.
posted by bayliss at 6:50 PM on June 13

Some of the worst paintings I have ever clapped eyes on. Lea F. McCarty I salute your powers of persuasion.
posted by fire&wings at 7:28 PM on June 13 [1 favorite has favorites]

Calamity Jane was a man?
posted by fshgrl at 12:43 AM on June 14

Wow. These are awfulcore. I'm imagining one or two hanging on John Waters' wall, right next to a black velvet Jesus.
posted by DecemberBoy at 12:58 AM on June 14

My dad has this book in paperback and I've practically memorized it.
posted by cropshy at 9:18 AM on June 14

I like'em.
posted by RavinDave at 10:16 AM on June 14

Regardless of his artistic ability, or lack thereof, you gotta know that he must have been tough as nails; life ain't easy for a boy named Lea.
posted by Halloween Jack at 3:37 PM on June 14

They all look like John Wayne.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 9:21 PM on June 14