1905 Dallas Texas Cowboys at Chuck Wagon Tent

[Shotgun Steve]

Here is a early photo of "Cowboys at Chuck Wagon Tent" in Dallas Texas. Dated 1905.

[Stillwater]

There was a lot of action going on that didn't blurr on the photograph. Good discreptive photo.

Bill

[Stillwater]

On the right side, the man seated, cross legged, second up from the bottom of the photograph... What is he scratching?

Bill

[Shotgun Franklin]

I wish we had more photos like this that show hats. Looks like most of these don't have much shaping done to'm.

[Texas Lawdog]

He might have sat down in an ant bed.

[Tater Pickens]

Not one six shooter or winchester visible neither

Tater

[Pancho Peacemaker]

Not one six shooter or winchester visible neither

Tater

Probably due to the date:  by 1905 "open carry" was outlawed most civilized places.  The North Texas prarie was all carved up by ranch owners and segregated by barbed wire.   Less open range for the outlaws to range on . . . less need for side arms.

By 1905, the "wild" west was not so "wild" anymore.

[Cutter Carl]

The hats are great.  Seems that open crowns are the most common but the few that are shaped are really interesting. 

The cowboy on the left the is bent over has the brims curled up almost like a "modern" style.  The one setting at the bottom center appears that he may have a pinched slope or a start of a "Gus crease".  The right front corner appears to be a young man, maybe even a teenager wearing a bowler style and the cowboy in the white shirt standing in back of the fly just to the left of center looks like he is wearing a montana peak. 

Everytime I see old pics and look a the hats it seems to me that you can't really go to wrong with a open crown and if you do shape it in anyway don't make it to perfect.

[Russ McCrae]

On the right side, the man seated, cross legged, second up from the bottom of the photograph... What is he scratching?

Bill

His Butt.....

The hats are great.  Seems that open crowns are the most common but the few that are shaped are really interesting. 

The cowboy on the left the is bent over has the brims curled up almost like a "modern" style. 

Everytime I see old pics and look a the hats it seems to me that you can't really go to wrong with a open crown and if you do shape it in anyway don't make it to perfect.

The modern style hat your talking about is pretty much like ones you see even today in Texas stilll, a classmate wears his hats almost identical to this one.

Most of my work hats ain't perfect either. If y'all got a watermelon head and want them a little more real send to me for a summer and they''ll won't be good as new 

[Dr. Bob]

Not only are they mostly open crown, but pretty tall too.

[Delmonico]

There was a lot of action going on that didn't blurr on the photograph. Good discreptive photo.

Bill

Most likely a dry plate photo which has a lot quicker exposure time.  Most had gave up even the glass plate by then.

[Stillwater]

Delmonico, thanks for the informative reply.

Bill

[Delmonico]

Delmonico, thanks for the informative reply.

Bill

No problem, a few photgraphers used the glass plate yet, some thought it gave a bit better picture, modern digitizing has proved them right.  Also according to a late friend (His Great-Uncle took the Wounded Knee pictures, I sure wish Don had not passed on, I have some questions I'd like to ask him.) some used it because they still had a large supply of chemicals. 

The dry plate acually was invented in the 1870's and had gained a decent foot hold by the late 1880's and had taken over for most pictures by 1900.

[Professor Marvel]

No problem, a few photgraphers used the glass plate yet, some thought it gave a bit better picture, modern digitizing has proved them right. 

The dry glass plate process lead to the development of flexible roll film which is much lighter, more convenient and allows
the photographer to get multiple images must quicker. But The glass plate has the advantage over roll film in that it is incredibly flat, even when the roll film has a stiffener or a backing plate in the camera. This means more of the image is in the same focal plane and thus more likely to be in focus.

yhs
prof marvel