What are these called?

[Ben Beam]

In this photo, it appears that the two seated parties have what look like leather cuffs that go up from the top of their footwear to just below the knee. Like a cross between boots and chaps: http://photos.legendsofamerica.com/oldwestlawmenandgunfighters/h7ae19a1

I'm sure this is a simple thing I should already know, but I don't. Anyone know what those are called? Thanks!

Edit: Looks like they're "Botas?"

[St. George]

They're called 'boots...

Boots with a 16" 'stovepipe' - worn with spurs and their straps.

The 'bota' was laced/tied on - resembling nothing so much as a gaiter.

What you see isn't that.

Scouts Out!

[Major 2]

Robert is right...Boots

Bota's are a different thing altogether

[Mogorilla]

I think you are seeing the distinct bottom of the spur strap.  Just my thoughts.

[Ben Beam]

Ahhh. The spur strap was what was throwing me off. The ironic thing was that I was trying to find the name for Botas and looked for a picture for reference, and the one I found turned out not to be Botas. 

Thanks for your patience. I have a lot of questions.

[Coffinmaker]

I thought it interesting, both seated "gentlemen" are displaying Colt Conversions.  Nifty.

Coffinmaker

PS:  there was also the dummy with his 66 Carbine, with the muzzle in the dirt.  Some bright that.

[Major 2]

I have a pattern if you are looking for one

[Niederlander]

I thought it interesting, both seated "gentlemen" are displaying Colt Conversions.  Nifty.

Coffinmaker

PS:  there was also the dummy with his 66 Carbine, with the muzzle in the dirt.  Some bright that.

I believe that's a '73.  I've never like setting a rifle on it's muzzle regardless of surface.

[Niederlander]

Just checked the larger photo in Time-Life "The Gunfighters".  Definitely a '73, for what it's worth.

[St. George]

There's a better than even chance that these are studio props, and the photo taken for a trio of Easterners 'out West'.

Photography studios usually kept a wide variety of clothing, hats, boots, gun belts and weapons - even buckskin outfits - so the tourists could dress up for the folks back home.

Scouts Out!

[Ben Beam]

There's a better than even chance that these are studio props, and the photo taken for a trio of Easterners 'out West'.

Photography studios usually kept a wide variety of clothing, hats, boots, gun belts and weapons - even buckskin outfits - so the tourists could dress up for the folks back home.

Scouts Out!

I've always wondered about those photos. When did those start becoming popular? Seeing as I usually see them as snapshots and not cabinet cards, I'd guess around 1900 and after. Seems like those photos are always where I saw the shag carpet chaps.

[St. George]

They became popular with the death of the old frontier that coincided with the first Wild West Show on May 19, 1883 in Omaha, Nebraska,

Photographers all had these props - even during the era of the Daguerreotypes during the Civil War - and they 'went West' as the population started to move after that war.

Scouts Out!

[Niederlander]

I personally doubt this picture is a "studio prop" effort.  Usually, the people in those pictures don't look "comfortable" for lack of a better term.  These guys look thoroughly at home in those clothes and with those guns.

[River City John]

That feller on the right needs to keep his finger out of the trigger guard. His pard on the left knows proper gun safety . . .


RCJ

[Ben Beam]

I would think that with the cost of a rifle being such an investment back then (even these days!) that they would take care of it, but maybe this fellow either didn't know any better--or was the inspiration for Roscoe Brown in Lonesome Dove, if you get my meaning.

[Coal Creek Griff]

There are actually a number of photos where the subject is posing with a long gun muzzle on the ground.  They are not all easterners. I've seen ones with US Marshals George Gard and Bill Tilghman, for example. I wouldn't do it or advise it, of course, but apparently it was more common in the past. Neither of those two photos were studio photos,  by the way.

CC Griff