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Back of the Wagon.png

This paper matted carte de visite-sized tintype photo appears to depict two Western types – who might be generically termed, cowboys. Dating from around 1875 the two gentlemen in the image were probably wearing their best “Sunday-go-to-meetings” when they posed for the photographer.

The man on the left has chosen to display his boots proudly and wears a classic western-style bib front shirt under his jacket. He also wears his broad-brimmed hat casually pushed back on his head. Based on the shape of the brim of his hat it appears to be of the "sugar loaf" sombrero style popular in the South West - West Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Adopted from the Mexicans, this style hat was widely popular and in his own words the favorite of none other than Billy the Kid.

The guy on the right, while dressed in a more nondescript manner has something of a fierce scowl on his face. The photographer had tinted each man’s cheeks in a manner common at the time but this tinting has bled somewhat over the years. When looked at closely it appears that the photographer – probably an itinerant practitioner - had set up his “studio’ in the back of his wagon. There even seems to be a small splash of tobacco juice on the floorboards at the left.


Carte de Visite Formatted Tintype (Ferrotype)
Unknown Photographer
United States
c. 1870s

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