Western

1880 · 19477 — 1880. Western Americana Cowboy photograph archive documenting armed riders ranch labor rodeo culture and frontier mobility across the American West between the 1880s and 1920s. Images capture working cowboys on horseback cattle branding scenes and interactions with Native American families during the late frontier period when cattle ranching and horse culture formed the backbone of Western rural economies. These photographs provide visual documentation of occupational practices such as branding long distance riding and mounted travel through difficult terrain during the closing decades of the open range era and the early twentieth century transition toward modern ranching systems.<br /> <br /> Archive of twenty original photographs in multiple photographic formats including tintypes albumen prints and silver gelatin photographs. Images date approximately from the 1880s through the 1920s and depict cowboys riding horses working cattle participating in rodeo competitions and traveling across rugged Western landscapes. Several photographs show armed riders carrying pistols or rifles including one large albumen print showing a mounted cowboy with a rifle across his lap. One photograph depicts cowboys branding livestock with a caption reading "Brother Manzer Branding his Cow." A real photo postcard dated circa 1910 shows several cowboys on horseback crossing a large river with water rising to the horses' necks. Another image shows a cowboy with a Native American family wearing traditional clothing in rocky badlands terrain. Photographs illustrate the working environment and material culture of Western cattle operations including ranch yards feed lots and livery stables. Rodeo imagery reflects the transformation of working ranch skills into organized public competitions during the early twentieth century. Image sizes vary. Overall minor wear consistent with age. Very good condition. A cohesive visual record of cowboy labor frontier mobility and Western ranching culture across four decades of the American West. unknown