Comments on: The Gunfighters.

The Gunfighters.

Bookhouse — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:37:08 -0800

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 ^

By: munchingzombie

munchingzombie — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:57:22 -0800

John Ringo's apricot ascot deserves a post of its own.

By: Divine_Wino

Divine_Wino — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:06:42 -0800

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.

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:34:01 -0800

I wonder where the essays are. Do you know when these were painted? Were the men living and sitting (thus collected later)?

By: Bookhouse

Bookhouse — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:40:49 -0800

Klang - Check the The Gunfighters link, you'll find all the essays. They were painted in the 20th century, unfortunately.

By: bayliss

bayliss — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:50:56 -0800

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.

By: fire&wings

fire&wings — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:28:42 -0800

Some of the worst paintings I have ever clapped eyes on. Lea F. McCarty I salute your powers of persuasion.

By: fshgrl

fshgrl — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:43:42 -0800

Calamity Jane was a man?

By: DecemberBoy

DecemberBoy — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:58:21 -0800

Wow. These are awfulcore. I'm imagining one or two hanging on John Waters' wall, right next to a black velvet Jesus.

By: cropshy

cropshy — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:18:17 -0800

My dad has this book in paperback and I've practically memorized it.

By: RavinDave

RavinDave — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:16:20 -0800

I like'em.

By: Halloween Jack

Halloween Jack — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:37:47 -0800

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.

By: Henry C. Mabuse

Henry C. Mabuse — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:21:14 -0800

They all look like John Wayne.