Beschreibung:

taken in the aftermath of the raid on the First National Bank in Northfield, Minnesota on September 7, 1876. Lot of 15 glass plate negatives of various sizes. Includes 10 collodion negatives taken in 1876 and five dry plate negatives, likely produced for Huntington's 1895 publication Robber and Hero. The Story of the Raid on the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota by the James-Younger Band of Robbers in 1876. Collodion negatives include the following: 4.5 x 7.25" stereographic negative of Charlie Pitts in death without his shirt; a 6.5 x 4.5" copy negative of Pitts wearing a checkered shirt; 4.2 x 5.4" stereographic negative of Pitts without his shirt; a 5 x 7" stereographic negative of Stiles and Clell Miller in death; another 4.4 x 5.5" copy negative of Stiles and Miller; a 5.5 x 4.2" stereographic negative of Bob Younger; a 5 x 4.4" stereographic negative of Jim Younger; 4.4 x 5.5" stereographic negative of Cole Younger; 3.5 x 4.4" negative of Joseph Heywood; and a 4.5 x 6.5" negative of the Northfield, Minnesota bank. Later, dry plate negatives include a 5 x 7" copy negative of the bridge leading into downtown Northfield; a 5 x 7" copy negative of the posse that captured part of the gang; a 5 x 7" copy negative of Jesse James; a copy negative of Frank James; and a 5 x 7" copy negative of Joseph Heywood. The James-Younger Gang botched raid on the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota is known more for its failure than success. Gang members Clell Miller and Dave Stiles were killed by irate citizens who mounted a vigorous defense of the town as the raid began to unravel. Joseph Heywood, a widely respected employee of the bank, was shot in cold blood by one of the panicked robbers. Several other citizens were wounded, one fatally; two of the would-be robbers fled with wounds. In the pursuit that followed, only Jesse and Frank James succeeded in escaping, traveling west into the Dakotas before finally reaching their home near Kansas City, Missouri. The Younger brothers -- Cole, Bob and James, along with Charley Pitts -- were not as fortunate, and were captured in a swamp near Madelia, Minnesota on September 21, 1876. During the shoot-out that resulted in their apprehension, Bob Younger was wounded in the breast, his brother James was shot five times and Cole eleven. Charley Pitts was killed, shot five times. Local photographers had a field day. I.E. Sumner, of Northfield took photographs of the dead robbers in Northfield, and apparently traveled to Madelia to photograph the living and dead after the capture. Sumner marketed the images as cartes de visite, selling them as souvenirs of the "Great Raid." This collection of negatives was purchased in 1978 directly from Jennie Sumner, the widow of one of I.E. Sumner's sons. Sumner also apparently made a number of copy negatives, though all were supposedly destroyed in a fire. These are apparently the only surviving original collodion negatives. With complete documentation. Provenance: EX Kramer Gallery Collection Condition: NULL