Article Contributed by Patrick Meguiar of Portland Tennessee.
The article appeared in the Kansas City
Star April 6, 1888. Photo provided by Michelle Pollard
"The Guerilla photo was taken at Platte City Missouri on July 10th, 1864."
-Milt Perry
The pursuit of history is an ongoing, unending endeavor and the 21st century has become fertile ground for both the revisionists and the truth seekers. Social media is filled with the ruminations, investigations and epiphanies of emerging evidence. No where is this truer than in the story of the famed outlaw Jesse James. The young man in the picture above could have been easily forgotten to history. But his reputation and the civil war in Missouri could not be easily dismissed. The very nature of the war in the Trans-Mississippi, exemplified the nature of the war being epitome of a brutal personal war fought amongst families and neighbors. The end result of this was a long and bitter process of reconciliation in Missouri. It also spawned Jesse James and his brother Frank as outlaws who continued to fight the war between the states for many years afterwards, in retaliation for what they saw as a grave injustice that had been committed against their community and family. However, after Jesse was killed in St. Joseph Missouri and his brother Frank settled back into his life and his own family, Jesses story would become a legend not only in Missouri but around the world. Adding to the conversation was (and is) the many photographs that have appeared and have been said to be Jesse James. The most famous and widely accepted photo of Jesse James is the guerilla, or "Partisan ranger" photo. This photo is a very important aspect of the Jesse James story, but little is actually known about it, and the story is not complete without understanding meaning and use of these photos. There are, however, pioneers and historic detectives who took up the mission of revealing the truth behind each story that concerned Jesse James. One of those pioneers was Historian Milt Perry.
Enter Milt Perry
The article posted here (above) was written by Milton "Milt" F. Perry (1926–1991). Milt was a noted historian and the curator for Clay County, Missouri, historic sites, including the Jesse James Farm and Museum. He was instrumental in developing the site after the county purchased it in 1978 and designed the museum. Perry served as the Superintendent of Historical Sites for Clay County, where he managed and developed local historic landmarks. His work was crucial in managing the James farmstead after the county acquired it in March 1978, helping to develop it into a legitimate tourist attraction. According to online resources, before working for Clay County, Perry was a curator at the West Point Museum and served as the first curator of the Truman Library until 1976. He was described as a key figure in managing the public perception and historical accuracy of the Jesse James story for the county.
The article
According to Bryan Ivlow who is the Current President of "Friends Of The James Farm," thought that the article was probably featured in the Plattsburg Missouri Newspaper which has since been taken over by the "Clinton County Leader." More information is pending this part of the story. In the article Milt points out some interesting facts about the photo and does a true investigative assessment and brings forth some additional points about the photo which add considerable common-sense information.
"The picture has given rise to the legend that Jesse James was left- handed. Actually, it was and "ambrotype," a photo on glass, that is a reversed mirror image. Ambrotype glass plates were exposed in the camera, developed and displayed in little cases with black velvet. As they are the original plate, all images are backwards. The boy dressed carefully for the picture. His hair was neatly combed, hate creases smoothed and the brim pinned up, the left sleeve of his shirt was tucked up near the shoulder by the photographer. James wore a clean shirt and a tie, both probably taken from Lawson Holmes dry goods store, as guerillas who lived in the "brush" had little use for such clothing. The identity of the photographer is unknown, as none appears in any of the Platte City records available at the time. The original photograph was seen at the James Farm in 1881 by a writer and an engraving was made of it for John N. Edwards book Noted Guerillas, published in 1877. In 1882, after James death, his widow had the picture copied, and small "carte-de-visite" prints were made at Ragans Photographic Rooms in Kansas City were widely sold.
-Milt Perry
Perry Goes onto explain that guerilla photo had been reprinted hundreds of times in hundreds of books, and he mentioned that the London Daily Telegraph had featured an 8x10 inch copy of the guerilla photo in the travel section of their Sunday edition. According to historian Michelle Pollard, the the London Daily Telegraph article was run on 13 February 1988.
Milt then tells us the rest of the story:
"James had been a guerilla less than a month, and probably had his photograph taken of himself in his new uniform, for his mother, as have hundreds of soldiers all over the world. The original glass ambrotype disappeared years ago"
Jesse James from John Newmans book "Noted Guerillas"
The Itinerate Photographer
So the reality is that only one unknow witness saw the guerilla photo, and engraving was completed. The rest is a bit mystery. However, with that said, another idea to contemplate, is who and how the image was created. In an article written by the author (also found on the blog) which involved the investigation into the "Cantey Myers" collection gives some basic and common-sense clues, add to this an article. And that information addresses the Itinerate (traveling) photographers of the day,
"From the latter half of the 19th century until nearly the middle of the 20th, one of the easiest ways for the average American to obtain a portrait photograph was by approaching a booth such as the one above or giving their pennies to an itinerant or street photographer. The process, from posing for the camera to a finish ed portrait in hand, such as the one at right, required only a matter of minutes. And it was indeed, cheap, costing only a few cents for a likeness of oneself – or perhaps a child or sweetheart."
-Anything to Get the Shot: Itinerant Photographers
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
Investigation Cantey Myers Collection, Article by G.C. Stevens
The photo was very likely taken by an Itinerate traveling photographer. These traveling photographers have been well documented;
"The soldiers’ portraits served a similar function of replicating place for the families at home. Soldiers arrived in their uniforms, and props were displayed to signify the soldiers’ role in the army. Some posed with instruments, canteens, or, as in this photo, their weapons. Painted backdrops, like the one of an army camp behind the unidentified soldier, were sometimes included to make the image appear more “realistic.” Otherwise, there was rarely any indication on the image of who the soldier was, where he fought, or even who the photographer was. The personal nature of these portraits did not require such identification, as they were soon sent home to the soldier’s family. The stylized composition of soldiers’ portraits recreated the camp life of a soldier in a romanticized way. The soldiers appeared strong and dignified, and provided a sense of comfort for families at home. Any emotions expressed through soldiers’ letters were masked in these portraits, and provided families with a felt connection to the men in the fields"
Article: A Portrait of Death: Photography and Death Ritual During the Civil War
by Jessica Dauterive
This matter remains under investigation...
G.C. Stevens
250 YEARS OF AMERICAN HISTORY
