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    Butch & Sundance ~ The New Evidence
    Butch & Sundance ~ The New Evidence
    Butch & Sundance ~ The New Evidence
    Ebook113 pages1 hour

    Butch & Sundance ~ The New Evidence

    By Brian Mida Bleecker

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    About this ebook

    Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. They were the last of the western outlaws and their Wild Bunch epitomized the spirit and romance of our country just before the arrival of telephones and automobiles. Stealing mostly from greedy cattle barons and railroad tycoons while leaving few bodies in their wake, these bold bandits used their cowboy skills to the fullest, riding like the wind away from pursuing posses and on into our hearts and imaginations. When Butch and Sundance, along with the beautiful Etta Place, sailed off for South American and their final showdown, a legend was born and the Old West perished.
    We are forever intrigued by their daring exploits, their enduring friendship, and their mysterious demise. The few photographs we have of them are among the most well-known images in human history. From these and a handful of accepted facts we try to distill unique moments and extrapolate entire lifetimes. However, anyone studying the early association between Robert Leroy Parker and Harry Alonzo Longabaugh soon realizes that there are no records of any kind connecting them during their younger days. Their legendary friendship is simply an unknown quantity before about 1896.
    So, over the decades we have fantasized about them, mythologized them in our popular culture. Even during the late sixties, a period of extreme social turmoil in America, their adventures struck a resonant chord with the public that lifted “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” all the way to Hollywood royalty. Yet, despite minor historical corrections by a long line of investigative authors, our basic knowledge of Butch and Sundance has not changed much since Charles Kelly published "The Outlaw Trail" in 1938.
    Now, more than a hundred years after their deaths in a Bolivian shootout, a new look at these famous desperadoes is presented by art collector and historian Brian Mida Bleecker. In "Butch & Sundance ~ The New Evidence," he brings to the table a totally unknown photo of both outlaws, posing together in a canvas tent near the mines of Southwest Colorado. His research also uncovers the forgotten saga of a pioneering photographic family, whose youngest son unknowingly captured a fleeting moment in western history then went uncredited for well over a century. This special first edition additionally includes the official academic paper authenticating the photograph, by Dr. Sabrina Caldwell of The Australian National University. All the revealing features are detailed here!
    "Butch & Sundance ~ The New Evidence" entirely rewrites the front end of a great American outlaw legacy. Mr. Bleecker explores the historical implications of the new image and draws some stunning conclusions. Did Robert Parker and Harry Longabaugh know each other prior to 1890? Were both men participants in the June 1889 robbery of the San Miguel Valley Bank? Are momentous snippets of world history just laying around in plain sight for inspired eyes to spot? The answers may surprise you.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrian Mida Bleecker
    Release dateDec 7, 2016
    ISBN9781370037704
    Butch & Sundance ~ The New Evidence
    Author

    Brian Mida Bleecker

    Brian Mida Bleecker was born in Detroit, Michigan on December 20th, 1963, into that distinct quandary between the assassination of President Kennedy and the arrival of The Beatles. He grew up among the autumn cornfields of Macomb County until his parents divorced and his mother moved him and his sister to Southern California in 1974. As a young man, Brian travelled up and down the Golden State, looking for adventure in his Volkswagen microbus. Then in 1987, while exploring the high desert, he uncovered a forgotten cache of miner's gold and equipment. This incredible find would solidify Brian's essential relationship with The Universe. In 1996, Brian Mida Bleecker received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from San Jose State University, California's oldest institution of higher learning, and embarked on a life-long career as an art dealer and picture framer. For many years he operated Becker Fine Art and Old Town Framing in Temecula, California. In 2014, Mr. Bleecker electronically published "Desert Gold" by Kyle Samper, an account based on the great discovery of his youth. Two years later, in 2016, he published "Butch & Sundance ~ The New Evidence," an electronic edition chronicling the research and authentication of an amazing outlaw photograph obtained at his Old Town art gallery. Brian Mida Bleecker lives in the beautiful rolling hills of Temecula Wine Country with his girlfriend and their many loving animals. He promotes wildlife awareness, specifically of the imperiled peninsular bighorn, barely surviving between the U.S. and Mexico.

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      Book preview

      Butch & Sundance ~ The New Evidence - Brian Mida Bleecker

      ~ BUTCH & SUNDANCE ~

      THE NEW EVIDENCE

      Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. They were the last of the western outlaws and their Wild Bunch exemplified the spirit and romance of our country just before the arrival of telephones and automobiles. Stealing mostly from greedy cattle barons and railroad tycoons while leaving few bodies in their wake, these bold bandits used their cowboy skills to the fullest, riding like the wind away from pursuing posses and on into our hearts and imaginations. When Butch and Sundance, along with the beautiful Etta Place, sailed off for South American and their final showdown, a legend was born and the Old West perished.

      We are forever intrigued by their daring exploits, their enduring friendship, and their mysterious demise. The few photographs we have of them are among the most well-known images in human history. From these and a handful of accepted facts we try to distill unique moments and extrapolate entire lifetimes. However, anyone studying the early association between Robert Leroy Parker and Harry Alonzo Longabaugh soon realizes that there are no records of any kind connecting them during their younger days. Their legendary friendship is simply an unknown quantity before about 1896.

      So, over the decades we have fantasized about them, mythologized them in our popular culture. Even during the late sixties, a period of extreme social turmoil in America, their adventures struck a resonant chord with the public that lifted Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid all the way to Hollywood royalty. Yet, despite minor historical corrections by a long line of investigative authors, our basic knowledge of Butch and Sundance has not changed much since Charles Kelly published The Outlaw Trail in 1938.

      Now, more than a hundred years after their deaths in a Bolivian shootout, a new look at these famous desperadoes is presented by art collector and historian Brian Mida Bleecker. In Butch & Sundance ~ The New Evidence, he brings to the table a totally unknown photo of both outlaws, posing together in a canvas tent near the mines of Southwest Colorado. His research also uncovers the forgotten saga of a pioneering photographic family, whose youngest son unknowingly captured a fleeting moment in western history then went uncredited for well over a century. This special first edition additionally includes the official academic paper authenticating the photograph, by Dr. Sabrina Caldwell of The Australian National University. All the revealing features are detailed here!

      Butch & Sundance ~ The New Evidence entirely rewrites the front end of a great American outlaw legacy. Mr. Bleecker explores the historical implications of the new image and draws some stunning conclusions. Did Robert Parker and Harry Longabaugh know each other prior to 1890? Were both men participants in the June 1889 robbery of the San Miguel Valley Bank? Are momentous snippets of world history just laying around in plain sight for inspired eyes to spot? The answers may surprise you.

      ~ BUTCH & SUNDANCE ~

      THE NEW EVIDENCE

      Brian Mida Bleecker

      B.A., Industrial Arts, San Jose State University

      ~ MODERN PACIFIC PRESS ~

      Los Angeles, California ~ Sydney, Australia

      BUTCH & SUNDANCE ~ THE NEW EVIDENCE

      Copyright 2016 Brian Mida Bleecker

      Smashwords Edition

      Original cover photograph by Oscar S. Dowe.

      Cover design and graphics by Brian Mida Bleecker.

      Original text slightly modified for electronic first edition.

      All Rights Reserved.

      No part of this electronic publication may be loaned, reproduced,

      or transmitted for resale, in any form or by any means,

      without prior permission from the author.

      to my mother Barbara, who told me anything was possible

      ~ BUTCH & SUNDANCE ~

      THE NEW EVIDENCE

      ~ CONTENTS ~

      ~ Forward ~

      Chapter 1 ~ The Discovery

      Chapter 2 ~ The Outlaws

      Chapter 3 ~ The Project

      Chapter 4 ~ The Photographers

      Chapter 5 ~ The Imagining

      Chapter 6 ~ The Decision

      Chapter 7 ~ The Authentication

      ~ Afterward ~

      ~ About the Author ~

      ~ Bibliography ~

      ~ Notes ~

      The Dowe photograph from the Brian Mida Bleecker Collection.

      ~ Forward ~

      This edition has been published without an advanced warning, press conference or public announcement. I offer these words and the photograph two years after the decision to proceed. These months of silent research have taken me to a unique stop on the Outlaw Trail. Numerous authors have speculated on the actions of famous bandits, but without such dynamic evidence in hand. This photo is a national treasure. As my discovery gains recognition, the long journey will continue and additional chapters will be needed. I look forward to extending this volume into a larger, second edition at that time.

      One thing I have found is that there are few living experts on western outlaws. There are many well-read individuals with opinions, but when you present them with an unknown image of their heroes they are unable to muster a verdict one way or the other. The risk to their reputations is simply too great for them to intuitively employ their knowledge. Many of today’s so-called experts can only inquire as to whether you have checked with all the other so-called experts. Some of them will even sabotage your work if you threaten their influence. This very book has endured a spate of attacks by competing western authors, including Daniel Buck and Michael Bell.

      That is why intelligent owners of western artifacts must educate themselves and so become the expert. If you have an article that you think is important – check it out all on your own. Make the effort and gain the peace of mind that comes with research and self-empowerment. You may not have anything special or just maybe your instincts are correct, despite the nay-sayers. In our mobile world of mass information, it is astounding how many epic finds are sitting right in plain sight at yard sales and in online auctions.

      A strong investigation is essential. You must glean all available sources of information and dig as deep as possible, because others will later, should you succeed. If you do not have the skills or resources, get them. That may mean bringing in special outside help. I asked Dr. Sabrina Caldwell to examine the photograph because she had the tools, knowledge and reputation to do the job. Plus, as my sister, I could trust her. With others, you may need disclosure and confidentiality agreements signed and dated in advance.

      If your artifact does not measure up – deal with it. Most antiques are untraceable and if a provenance is not

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