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"The world needed John Brown and John Brown came, and time will do him justice." Frederick Douglass (1886)

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Saturday, June 16, 2012

Photo Contendere, Again--
Another "John Brown" Fake for Sale on eBay

Readers may recall a blog entry from Dec. 11, 2011, which featured an eBay sale of some 19th century daguerreotypes purported to be images of John Brown and his family.  Clearly the images were NOT of Brown and his family.   Now, a reader has been kind enough to notify me that yet another so-called John Brown image has surfaced for sale, once more on eBay.  The image of an old man is presented as "Rare Pre Civil War Tintype of John Brown Abolitionast" [sic].

















The eBay seller also writes under the description section: "You are bidding on a RARE PRE CIVIL WAR TINTYPE OF JOHN BROWN.  This is one of a few tintypes I have had authenticated.  Like the other tintypes I got them from a lady in southern Missouri.  Money Back Guarantee!!  100%  authentic!!"

Wow.  A "lady in southern Missouri"?  "Rare pre-Civil War tintype"?  "100% Authentic"?

Even Robert E. Lee would tell you that the old man in this "pre-Civil War tintype" is not John Brown the abolitionist.  He doesn't even look like our man Brown, bearing not the slightest resemblance except for the long white beard.  Even more ludicrous is the verso label that reads: "John Brown Picture 1859 Last Picture Take[n] 3 Day[s] Before hanging  father of Civil War"!  Of course, no such photographic image was made of Brown prior to his hanging.  Unfortunately there was not even a life sketch made of Brown in jail three days prior to his execution.  The whole thing is bogus.

However, if anyone is actually stupid enough to buy this last so-called John Brown father of the Civil War tintype, here are some other pictures of "John Brown" that might also interest them for their collection!

John Brown, oil painting
in his favorite bathrobe
John Brown, sketch
made with nifty cap
John Brown, color
daguerreotype 1858

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