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THBMontana Old West Prison Outlaws, Collection of Criminal Photographs
About Seller
6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States
With offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver, Cowan’s holds over 40 auctions each year, with annual sales exceeding $16M. We reach buyers around the globe, and take pride in our reputation for integrity, customer service and great results. A full-service house, Cowan’s Auctions specializes in Am...Read more
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About Auction
LiveJun 13, 2014 - Jun 14, 2014
Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com
View Full Catalog (603)
- Lot Description
Seven books from the Montana State Penitentiary system with marbled card covers and cloth spines, each approx. 8.5 x 17 in. These contain sheets with statistics on each prisoner and their photo - one view in civilian clothes, one view in prison stripes with head shaved. Name and prison number written in negative.This singular collection of nearly 1000 Montana criminal photographs and data sheets date to the end of the "Old West" period of 1907-1912. Montana became the last refuge of outlaws, and these books contain photos of the criminal element of Montana at its most active. It is the largest collection known to be in private hands.During the period of 1907-1912, gangs such as the "Wild Bunch" were extremely active in the area. Although Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid left for South America in 1908 because of the aggressive hunting of them by the Pinkerton Detective Agency, many more gangs remained, hiding in the Badlands of Montana and Wyoming. They ventured out of their "hidey holes" to rob trains, hold up banks, rustle cattle, visit brothels and saloons, and generally cause trouble in shootouts and bar fights.At the time, Butte (MT) was becoming the last mining boom town of the West. Copper was "King" and the mines were active 24 hours a day. When the miners got off their shifts, there were plenty of saloons and "working women" willing to relieve them of their hard-earned pay. When any city has a population explosion to 100,000 people in just a couple years, it takes a while to establish law and order. Gunfights and other violence were epidemic in this heavily populated square mile of "The Treasure State."In addition to the Irish, Italian, German, and Eastern European miners, there was a large Chinese population that operated in a separate cultural sphere. Here opium dens and "tong wars" proliferated. By 1920 the Butte police began to realize that their city was the national center of the Chinese mafia-like "tongs."The eastern half of the state was primarily cattle territory, with a scattered population of cowboys, homesteaders and Indian reservations. In the midst of this cultural stew, rife with poverty, frustration and violence, a handful of lawmen tried to maintain the peace.A bit rough, with some boards cracked in half, scuffing of edges of the pages, and some fading of photos (although they probably never were "artistic" shots). These were working records, and thus show minor tears and handling wear.
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