Editing Billy the Kid (section)

===Dedrick ferrotype===
[[File:Billy the Kid tintype, Fort Sumner, 1879-80.jpg|thumb|Unretouched original [[ferrotype]] of Billy the Kid, {{circa|1880}}|227x227px]]
One of the few remaining artifacts of Bonney's life is a {{convert|2|x|3|in|cm|adj=on|abbr=off|sp=us}} [[tintype|ferrotype]] photograph of him, attributed to photographer [[Ben Wittick]]<ref name="BowersMuseum2022">{{cite web |author1=Staff |title=Four Views of Walpi |url=https://www.bowers.org/index.php/collection/collection-blog/four-views-of-walpi |website=Bowers Museum |access-date=21 March 2024 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220703153447/https://bowers.org/index.php/collection/collection-blog/four-views-of-walpi |archive-date=3 July 2022}}</ref> in late 1879 or early 1880. The image shows Bonney wearing a vest under a sweater, a [[slouch hat]] and a bandana, while holding an [[1873 Winchester]] rifle with its butt resting on the floor. For years, this was the only photograph of Bonney accepted by scholars and historians.<ref name="TWbounty" /> The original ferrotype survived because Bonney's friend Dan Dedrick kept it after the outlaw's death. It was passed down through Dedrick's family, and was copied several times, appearing in numerous publications during the 20th century. In June 2011, the original plate was bought at auction for $2.3&nbsp;million by businessman [[Bill Koch (businessman)|William Koch]].<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Tripp |first1 = Leslie |title = Billy the Kid photograph fetches $2.3 million at auction |url = http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/26/colorado.billy.the.kid.photo/index.html |publisher = CNN |access-date = July 4, 2015 |date = June 26, 2011 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150706031600/http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/26/colorado.billy.the.kid.photo/index.html |archive-date = July 6, 2015 |df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="BBCphoto">{{cite news |url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-13919013 |title = Billy the Kid portrait fetches $2.3m at Denver auction |publisher = BBC News US & Canada |date = June 26, 2011 |access-date = January 26, 2016 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160229211130/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-13919013 |archive-date = February 29, 2016 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

The image shows Bonney wearing his holstered Colt revolver on his left side. This led to the belief that he was left-handed, without taking into account that the ferrotype process produces reversed images.<ref name="left hand">{{cite web |url = https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/jun/27/billy-the-kid-photograph-sold |title = Billy the Kid photograph sold at auction in Colorado for $2.3m |work = The Guardian |date = June 26, 2011 |access-date = December 28, 2015 |first = Jo |last = Adetunji |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305042431/http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/jun/27/billy-the-kid-photograph-sold |archive-date = March 5, 2016 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> In 1954, western historians James D. Horan and Paul Sann wrote that Bonney was right-handed and carried his pistol on his right hip.<ref>Horan, James D. and Sann, Paul. ''Pictorial History of the Wild West'', New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1954 – p. 57.</ref> The opinion was confirmed by Clyde Jeavons, a former curator of the [[BFI National Archive|National Film and Television Archive]].<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/mar/03/1 |last = Mayes |first = Ian |title = I kid you not |newspaper = [[The Guardian]] |date = March 3, 2001 |access-date = June 19, 2009 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140312000916/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/mar/03/1 |archive-date = March 12, 2014 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> Several historians have written that Bonney was [[ambidexterity|ambidextrous]].<ref>Gardner, Mark Lee: ''To Hell on a Fast Horse: The Untold Story of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett'' (2011), pp. 91, 277</ref>{{sfn|Nolan|1998|p=29}}{{sfn|Wallis|2007|p=83}}<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/jun/10/the-fact-and-fiction-32of-americas-outlaw/print/ |title = The fact and fiction of America's outlaw |last = Goode |first = Stephen |work = The Washington Times |date = June 10, 2007 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20200611180357/https://www.webcitation.org/5hfNVN6Db?url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/jun/10/the-fact-and-fiction-32of-americas-outlaw/print/ |archive-date = June 11, 2020 |access-date = December 25, 2015 |quote = Billy loved to sing and had a good voice, those who knew him claimed&nbsp;... He was ambidextrous and wrote well with both hands. |url-status = dead |df = mdy }}</ref>