1940 Jesse Livermore Found Shot Dead "The Great Bear of Wall Street" with his Wife In Happier Times Original Press Photo

Jesse Livermore (D. 1940 by self-inflicted gunshot wound) was known as the Boy Plunger and "Great Bear of Wall Street", was an American stock trader. He was famed for making and losing several multi-million dollar fortunes and short selling during the stock market crashes in 1907 and 1929. During his lifetime, Livermore gained and lost several multi-million dollar fortunes. Most notably, he was worth $3 million and $100 million after the 1907 and 1929 market crashes, respectively. He subsequently lost both fortunes. Apart from his success as a securities speculator, Livermore left traders a working philosophy for trading securities that emphasizes increasing the size of one's position as it goes in the right direction and cutting losses quickly. Livermore sometimes did not follow his own rules strictly. He claimed that his lack of adherence to his own rules was the main reason for his losses after making his 1907 and 1929 fortunes.

The popular book Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, by Edwin Lefvre, reflects on many of those lessons. Livermore himself wrote a less widely read book, "How to trade in stocks; the Livermore formula for combining time element and price". It was published in 1940, the same year he committed suicide. There is some speculation that this partnership between the two men was not their first collaboration. Since Lefvre was a writer and journalist, it is thought that he was one of the friendly newspapermen that Livermore employed for both information and planted articles. In 1933, the police were called when Jesse Livermore went missing. The next day, after disappearing, he returned home, walking unsteadily. He said he spent the night in a hotel and awoke with a blank mind. Reading newspaper headlines about his disappearance brought him to his senses. His doctor's verdict was "Amnesia nervous breakdown.

Offered is an original 6.5" x 8.5" International News photo from of Jesse Livermore and his third (and last wife) Mrs. Harriet Metz Livermore.

The original paper caption reads:

“Jesse Livermore, world famous Wall Street Wizard, who won and lost several fortunes during his spectacular career as a plunger on the stock market, was found shot dead in. a Washroom at the Sherry Netherlands Hotel in New York City tonight, November 28th.

The .22 caliber revolver which fired the fatal shot through his head was found near his hand.  Police think the one time millionaire shot and killed himself because of recent financial reverses.  He is pictured here with his third wife, Mrs. Harriet Metz Livermore.”

Original Press stampings on the back.