A tintype photo that’s purported to be only the second known in existence of the legendary outlaw Billy the Kid is on display at the Nevada County Fairgrounds through Saturday. It’s part of the annual Old West Show hosted by Witherell’s auction house, headquartered in Sacramento. Believed to have been taken in 1878, at a time when cameras were a rarified technology, it shows the outlaw playing croquet with members of his gang, after a wedding. CEO Brian Witherell says it gained national publicity after being featured on a National Geographic documentary hosted by Kevin Costner last year…

click to listen to Brian Witherell

The owner, who is not from the local area, paid only 2 dollars for the 4-by-5-inch photo at a Fresno thrift store in 2010 and spent the next five years authenticating it. The sale price is now 5-million dollars. Witherell says modern software has helped to reduce the number of doubters…

click to listen to Brian Witherell

Billy the Kid died in 1881 at age 21. The Old West Show runs until 5pm Friday and from 10am to 3pm Saturday).