Clothes and Accoutrements of the Cowboy in the 1880s

[Fingers McGee]

A very good read

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/thro1/rickey.pdf

[Shotgun Franklin]

I knew that Texans who went north had greatly influenced the region. I've talked to people from Wyoming who actually traced their family back to Texas. Many people forget that the common Cowboy was just the grunt level laborer of his time.
Yes, this was worth the reading.

[Calico Kirby]

Some of it was good info, but some of it was obviously wrong. A Boss of the Plains with a 7" crown? I've never seen anything in pictures or other documentation that supports that statement. Plus, the VAST majority of pictures (and I'm not talking about studio pictures, I'm talking about pictures of WORKING cowboys) show men working in white/light colored shirts.

The information on the fit of the trousers was good and does support a lot of the known facts/documentation.

While I wouldn't take it all as the gospel, it was a good read and not a bad place to start some serious research. Several of the books he referenced are very good resources.

[Hangtown Frye]

Very good and informative work, with lots of first-person accounts (as one would expect from Don Rickey). As noted above, there are a few minor discrepancies here and there, such as the high-crowned "Boss of the Plains", and also his not noting the difference between an 1877 Colt DA and the bigger 1878 Colt in the larger calibers.  However, these are fairly minor quibbles with the over-all quality of the work.  I certainly am saving this one for re-reading... a lot!

BTW, he does mention "hat strings" being used, which at least answers some of the question posed in another thread here.  I'll post this thread there, just to keep things up-to-date.

Cheers!

Gordon

[Shotgun Franklin]

He also noted the differences ion clothing between Cowboys from different areas. I know, from old photos that Texas Cowboys tended to wear taller hats and lighter colored clothing. If you've ever been in South Texas in the Summer you'll appreciate the cooler feel of a lighter colored shirt over a dark one.

[Hangtown Frye]

He also noted the differences ion clothing between Cowboys from different areas. I know, from old photos that Texas Cowboys tended to wear taller hats and lighter colored clothing. If you've ever been in South Texas in the Summer you'll appreciate the cooler feel of a lighter colored shirt over a dark one.

Got that right!  Hats too!

Cheers!

Gordon

[1961MJS]

Some of it was good info, but some of it was obviously wrong. A Boss of the Plains with a 7" crown? I've never seen anything in pictures or other documentation that supports that statement. Plus, the VAST majority of pictures (and I'm not talking about studio pictures, I'm talking about pictures of WORKING cowboys) show men working in white/light colored shirts.

The information on the fit of the trousers was good and does support a lot of the known facts/documentation.

While I wouldn't take it all as the gospel, it was a good read and not a bad place to start some serious research. Several of the books he referenced are very good resources.

Hi

Doctor Fronkensteen raising the dead, but with respect to the 7 inch crown hats, that would be open crown.  Shaping the hat would lower it a lot.  I own several hats with a 5.75 inch open crown and they still touch my hair.  My copy of Doc Holliday's hat from the movie Tombstone has a 6 and a quarter inch crown and it doesn't touch.

Later Y'all

[Calico Kirby]

but with respect to the 7 inch crown hats, that would be open crown. 

The original Boss of the Plains hat (with the open crown) had a 3-1/2 - 4 inch brim and a 4 inch crown.  It originally came in a brown (almost rust brown) color, but was soon offered in other colors.  The dimensions, however, remained the same.

[Delmonico]

The original Boss of the Plains hat (with the open crown) had a 3-1/2 - 4 inch brim and a 4 inch crown.  It originally came in a brown (almost rust brown) color, but was soon offered in other colors.  The dimensions, however, remained the same.

The Boss was not an open crown but what is often called a sugar loaf crown, best described as half way between a flat crown and an open crown, an open crown is like you saw on Hoss Cartwright or Billy Jack.  (No no one has to admit to have seen that movie.)

[Grenadier]

I saw Billy Jack when I was maybe 10 years old...I thought it was the coolest thing next to Chuck Norris. I tried watching it about 5 or 6 years ago...I felt really ashamed for my 10 year old self. 

[1961MJS]

Sooooo, based on the above, I wonder which part of their description is wrong?  Tltle of Boss of the Plains, or crown height?

[Delmonico]

Sooooo, based on the above, I wonder which part of their description is wrong?  Tltle of Boss of the Plains, or crown height?

Calling a sugar loaf crown an open crown is what is wrong, btw the present Stetson copy of the Boss of the Plains is called an Austral because Hatco has a modern shape with fake dirt they call Boss of the Plains.

This is as Hatco makes it today with the later 4" brim: 


Note the differance between that crown and the open crown on a derby: 

[GunClick Rick]

My Boss




Ken Curtis and Dan Blocker

[Hargrave]

I liked the research and am just glad people were documenting things from the people that where there. I too will keep on file and make all my kids read as a study in history

[Octagonal Barrel]

...Boss of the Plains with a 7" crown? I've never seen anything in pictures...

I'm new to this forum, and this is my first post here.

I can't say anything about the "Boss of the Plains" as a specific Stetson model, and the photos I'm thinking of may well come from 10 to 20 years later than the above referenced document covers.  But I have seen photos of 7" open crowned hats resembling the "Boss of the Plains."  I have seen them in several of Edward Curtis' photos of native Americans he travelled with.  One such photo, (page 101, "Edward S. Curtis - Coming to Light", by Anne Makepeace, National Geographic Society, 2002) shows Curtis with Goes Ahead, Hairy Moccasin, and White Man Runs Him.  While there are decided problems with the "props" associated with Curtis' portraits of native Americans, this one is a relatively candid photo (it's whole style is different from Curtis' fine art photos), posed but in the middle of the field somewhere - everyone seated on the ground, horses in the background, notihing but big sky and low hills as far as the eye can see.  It appears to be an honest photo of the group while travelling.  As such, I think it far less likely Curtis added props to this photo.  Both Hairy Moccasin, and White Man Runs Him are wearing tall crowned "Boss of the Plains" style hats that are probably around 7".

Another photo (frontispiece, titled elsewhere, "Curtis and friends doing fieldwork," shows Curtis with an unidentified group of native Americans, three of which have these same shape tall open crown hats.  This photo is more typical of Curtis, clearly posed, clearly carefully shaped (and photographically beautiful) composition, so clearly intended as fine art and perhaps props are a possible problem.  But the hats are in the photo, and so whether props or no, they existed at least by the turn of the century.

(I cannot find these photos online, so haven't provided links.  Sorry.)

Whether they were often associated with cowboys, or whether they were associated with cowboys during this period is another question.  Maybe Rickey got it right, or maybe he misidentified the dates of some artifacts?  I can't say, but the approx. 7" open crown hats existed historically, and were worn at least by some historic native American individuals.  (The three scouts mentioned above rode with Custer's 7th at the Little Big Horn, and are said to have warned Custer the Sioux there were more numerous than his army's bullets.)

Just thought I'd pass the info along.  Up to you to decide if it's close enough to "period correct" to help anything.

[Octagonal Barrel]

This is the first photo.  Hope the link stays active for a while...

http://pinterest.com/pin/163677767679877704/