A 19th-century photograph purchased on eBay for just £7 could be worth up to £2 million after experts identified it as a genuine portrait of the infamous outlaw Jesse James.
Justin Whiting, who lives in Spalding, Lincolnshire, bought the tintype in July 2017, the Daily Telegraph reports. Tintype photos were created by applying chemicals to a thin metal sheet and have been described as the Polaroid of the 19th-century.
Whiting said that once the photo arrived he noticed a strong similarity between the young man in the picture and the famed Wild West outlaw.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“I thought to myself: ‘Gee wizz, this could be a real photo!’ I’ve been obsessed with American outlaws for years and read lots of books and study their faces,” he said.
Whiting tracked down Will Dunniway, a 19th century photography expert in California, who confirmed that the tintype was a genuine portrait of James, taken when the soon-to-be bank robber was just 14.
Dunniway’s report said the photo bears many similarities to another photo taken of James at the same time: “It is very evident by the face, hair cut, jacket, shirt and tie that this is the same image of Jesse James at 14 years old. One of the originals.”
Whiting then sent the photograph to Los Angeles forensic expert Kent Gibson who also confirmed the image’s authenticity, saying that “an authentic photograph of outlaw Billy the Kid sold for $5 million in 2015 so the sky's the limit.”
Whiting, who has been out of work since 2003 aftering suffering from back problems, said he has already contacted London auction house Christie’s about selling the rare find.