August 24, 2009

 

The Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection (FSA-OWI) collection, is a part of the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. Because the photos were commissioned by the U.S. government, they are in the public domain (It is stated, "Most photographs in this collection were taken by photographers working for the U.S. Government. Work by the U.S. Government is not eligible for copyright protection.")

We'll be posting selected photos that depict cowboys in coming weeks.

The FSA-OWI collection is described:

The photographs in the Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection form an extensive pictorial record of American life between 1935 and 1944. This U.S. government photography project was headed for most of its existence by Roy E. Stryker, who guided the effort in a succession of government agencies: the Resettlement Administration (1935-1937), the Farm Security Administration (1937-1942), and the Office of War Information (1942-1944). The collection also includes
photographs acquired from other governmental and non-governmental sources, including the News Bureau at the Offices of Emergency Management (OEM), various branches of the military, and industrial corporations. In total, the black-and-white portion of the collection consists of about 171,000 black-and-white film negatives...

The photos below were all made in 1939 in Alpine, Texas, by photographer Russell Lee (1903-1986), who taught photography at the University of Texas, Austin, from 1965-1973. A site devoted to a 2003 centenary exhibition of his work comments, "Although his photographic career spanned four decades, Russell Lee is best known for his work from 1936 until 1942, making pictures for the Farm Security Administration, a New Deal program designed to assist poor and destitute farmers during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression."  Find more information at Texas State University's Russell Lee Collection

The photos' captions come from the FSA catalog.

 

Cowboys in beer parlor. Alpine, Texas
May, 1939, by Russell Lee
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [LC-USF34-033233-D]
 

Cowboy drinking beer in beer parlor, Alpine, Texas
May, 1939, by Russell Lee
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [LC-USF33-012201-M3]
 

Cowboy drinking a bottle of beer in booth of beer parlor. Alpine, Texas
May, 1939, by Russell Lee
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [LC-USF34-033232-D]
 

Cowboy examining saddle. Ranch supply store, Alpine, Texas
May, 1939, by Russell Lee
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [LC-USF34-033279-D]
 

Repairing cowboy boots in boot shop. Alpine, Texas
May, 1939, by Russell Lee
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [LC-USF34-033168-D]

 

---

   Share your photos for Picture the West.

Send your views of the West.

We're looking for images that give a glimpse of the ranching, cowboy, and rural and working life of the West of today and yesterday. We welcome vintage and contemporary photos:  family photos, images of where you live and work, and the area around you. 

If you have a photo and story to share, email us.

August 17, 2009

South Dakota rancher, writer, and poet Robert Dennis shares photos and comments about moving a few first calf heifer pairs with his neighbor Frank in June, 2009. We saw the photos on Robert's blog and asked him to share them for Picture the West.

Robert writes:

We trailed some first calf heifer pairs for Frank from one ranch to another, over several neighbors' ranches. People don't do this as much any more, they just truck them. Sad, that we are all in such a
hurry anymore.

Here we were sorting pairs. Trailing them along. Frank is on the far gray horse and Willy is on
the closer, darker gray.
 

Dropping down into the Sulphur Creek breaks. It was boggy in spots as we had a lot of snow this winter, but it made for a lot of grass this summer. Which is good as there are lots of grasshoppers to eat it!

Frank rode around a dam on his gray horse. I thought this made a nice picture. We were almost done at this point.

Willy. You can see a long ways in this country, 35 to 40 miles at least.

Pretty nice set of pairs.

This late summer or fall, we will trail the cattle back to the main ranch. It's still the best way to move cattle, to me. It makes better cows, horses and men.

Robert Dennis has contributed other interesting photos to Picture the West, including:

  Mijo, his "ex-stallion"

2009 calving and branding on the Dennis Ranch

  Summer ranch photos

Photos taken while he was "out riding on yearlings"

Photos of his mares and colts

Family photos from the 1920s and 1940s

Photos and stories from his ranch and Red Owl

Area photos from the early 1900s

Family photos from the 1920s

Photo by Jeri L. Dobrowski

Read more about Robert Dennis and read some of his poetry here.