While there are many photos that might “possibly” be Billy The Kid, the photo at the left is the only one widely accepted as authentic.  It is a daguerrotype likely taken in Ft. Sumner, New Mexico commonly referred to as “the tintype.”  Billy would have originally had four copies of this photo.  The only known surviving copy was recently sold at auction for over two million dollars.  While it is possible even this photo is not the real Billy, we do have enough knowledge of how it was passed down from Billy himself to reach the consensus that it really is him.  It is this tintype that is responsible for the incorrect assumption that Billy was left handed since it appears his handgun is on his left side.  But tintypes present an image that is the reverse of the real life subject.  With today’s powerful computer graphics programs it is simple to flip such an image horizontally.  The result shows Billy wore his pistol on his right hip making it likely he preferred his right hand.  Click the pistol below to view comparisons of this tintype with Brushy Bill.