Jesse James is one of the rarest American autographs. So when Leslie Hindman Auctioneers announced that a James-signed photo—claimed to be the only one known—would be up for auction in their April 5 sale, we stopped and took notice:

Press Release:

Rare Signed Photograph of Jesse James to Sell at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers 

The notorious outlaw Jesse James has been an American obsession for over a century. Most of his life, however, remains a mystery. What is more, he left few artifacts behind to help fill in the gaps, which has in return intensified the demand for all James-related historical memorabilia, especially photographs and signed documents.

On April 5th Leslie Hindman Auctioneers will sell the only known signed photograph of Jesse Woodson James. The albumen print portrait, showing a bust of James as a young man with his hair slicked back and dressed in a suit and tie, is the most iconic image of the outlaw.

James’ signature is exceedingly rare, with only one other signed item selling at auction, and the present signed photograph is expected to greatly exceed its $20,000-30,000 presale estimate. The provenance of the photograph is excellent. It was obtained by Andrew MacKellar, Captain of the Cunard Line of the RMS Queen Mary from 1954 to 1959, from Calvin Tilden Owns, husband of Ethel Rose James (the granddaughter of Jesse James), who confirmed the authenticity of the signed photograph, which was bequeathed to her by Jesse James’ widow, Zee, as part of an inheritance. The photograph has been in private hands since it was purchased from Captain MacKellar in 1958.

The signed photograph will be a featured in the Americana session of the Fine Books and Manuscripts Auction to be held Tuesday, April 5th, at 1338 W Lake St. at 12:00pm. The items will be on public display Saturday, April 2nd, from 10:00am to 3:00pm, Sunday, April 3rd, from 12:00pm to 5:00pm, and Monday, April 4th, from 12:00pm to 6:00pm. For more information, please contact Mary Williams at 312.334.4236 or marywilliams@lesliehindman.com.

Collecting & Authenticating Jesse James

Authenticating rare, early signed photographs tends to be hard and controversial, because they combine high value and, generally, very little writing to determine authenticity from. Make it the only signed photograph of a super-rare autograph like James, and you can bet that pros and high-end historical collectors are excitedly discussing this piece.

Let's join the discussion...and talk about authenticating and collecting Jesse James in general.

There are probably less than 10 recognized Jesse James autographs known. We'll be uploading two or three over the next few days. If you find any, upload them, too—whether you think they're genuine or not.

Let's compare, discuss...and learn about the autograph of one of America's most legendary outlaws.

Other Jesse James Autographs

Jesse James handwritten letter signed "Tho. Howard" [James was aka Thomas Howard]. Sold by sold University Archives in 2005. Click to enlarge.

The letter reads in full:

"Mr. J. D. Calhoun Lincoln Neb. Dear Sir, I have noticed that you have 160 acres of land advertised for sale in Franklin W. Neb. Please write at once and let me know the lowest cash price that will buy your land. Give me full description of the land. I want to purchase a farm of that size provided I can find one to suit - I will not buy a farm unless the soil is No. 1. I will start on a trip in about 8 days to northern Kan. & W. South Nebraska and if the description of your land suits me I will look at it & if it suits me I will buy it from the advertisement in Lincoln Journal. I suppose your land can be made a good farm for stock & grain. Please answer at once. Respectfully, Tho. Howard No. 1318 Lafayette St. St. Joseph, Mo. March 2nd `82."

A copy of the ad that James was answering is included.

Jesse reached his Waterloo in September, 1876, when his gang, including the Younger brothers, took on the bank at Northfield, Minn. Within minutes the town people returned fire. All except Frank and Jesse were either killed or were wounded and captured. After that, Jesse and Frank, at the urging of their wives, decided to live the straight life. This letter shows James' attempt to buy a farm and leave his old ways behind. Because he didn't have enough money to buy the farm, he planned one last bank job. All of his earlier gang members were either dead or in prison, but Jesse, ironically, recruited Bob and Charlie Ford, the men who soon would kill him, to help him rob the Platte City bank. The Ford brothers posed as cousins of Jesse James, but actually were not related to Jesse at all. The $10,000 reward on Jesse proved too appealing. While Jesse stood on a chair in the family home at 1318 Lafayette Street in St. Joseph to dust and straighten a picture, Bob and Charlie Ford drew their guns. Bob Ford put an end to the James Legend with a single bullet to the back of the head on April 3, 1882. Ford never got any reward money.

—UA

In 2004, Christie's New York sold a six-page handwritten letter in pencil from Jesse James to his step father, Dr. Ruben Samuel, dated March 23, 1875. It sold for $175,000 back then, and could be worth much more today. Here's the listing.

Image of the last page, courtesy of Christie's. Click to enlarge: