Jesse James

A notorious criminal, Missouri-born Jesse James was nevertheless lauded in song as a folk hero who “robbed from the rich” and “gave to the poor.” Here Benton collapsed time and space to simultaneously show different incidents involving James and his infamous gang.

Benton adapted Jesse James from his Missouri Capitol murals, like Huckleberry Finn hanging nearby. Although Benton ensured that “BANK” and “BOOTS” read properly when translated from the mural to the print—a process that resulted in a mirror image—he did not correct every detail. Here the brazen James gang shoot left handed instead of right.