The way it really was

[Oregon Bill]

Folks, you'll want to bookmark this fabulous site from the Library of Congress. It features 725 Daguerreotypes from the heart of our period: 1839-1864. If you are like me, it will forever alter the way you think of the period.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/daghtml/daghome.html

[Oregon Bill]

Here's another neat site, featuring an early Daguerreotype of Jack Hays during the Mexican War. Clay pipes and wheel hats lads?
http://historicalwesternphotos.com/texas_legend_john_coffee_hays_during_mexican_war