Circa 1932, USA, Bonnie Parker points a shotgun at boyfriend Clyde Barrow.
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Darrow are two of the most legendary outlaws in American history, thanks to their spree of murder and bank robbery in the 1930s. Now you too can own a piece of that history, as Bonnie’s .38-caliber Colt revolver and Clyde’s .45-caliber Colt pistol will join a host of other items in a Sept. 30 auction.
The couple were wearing both weapons when they were ambushed by lawmen on May 23, 1934 and gunned them down; Bonnie’s Colt was discovered taped to her inner thigh and Clyde’s weapon was nestled in his waistband. The leaders of the Barrow Gang were responsible for at least 13 murders and countless robberies during the Great Depression, but their blossoming romance and daring heists made them folk heroes.
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The upcoming sale, hosted by RR Auction, could net as much as $200,000 for each weapon, the most notable items on the block. Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, who led the pursuit of Bonnie and Clyde, was awarded the guns after the raid. A collector named Robert E. Davis later purchased Hamer’s memorabilia, and now his estate and that of Clyde’s sister, Marie Barrow, have teamed up for the Amherst, N.H., auction.
Also on offer are a gold pocketwatch Clyde was wearing when his Ford was shot full of holes by Harmer’s posse on a Louisiana road; Bonnie’s lipstick case, Coty face powder and powder puff; and a letter Clyde wrote to his brother, L.C. Barrow, signed “Bud” — his code name when he was on the run, according to the Associated Press.
Bonnie and Clyde met in Texas in 1930 and the two lovers led a gang notorious for robbing banks and stores and killing anyone in their way—including law enforcement—as they eluded capture across the Midwest and South for almost four years.
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