This vintage real photo postcard features two men on horseback. They are carrying tools. The tools appear to be shovels or spades. One rider has coiled rope hanging from his saddle. Is it a lasso. Are these men cowboys? Prospectors? Ranch hands? This postcard has a Velox stamp box indicating it dates back to sometime between 1907 and 1914. SOLD
This arresting cabinet card, taken in Oakley, Idaho by the photographer Mrs. R. I. Mills, captures a vivid and timeless portrait of five rugged Western men from the late 19th or very early 20th century. The image radiates strength, camaraderie, and a quiet intensity that invites speculation about the identities and lives of its subjects. The five men are posed against a painted studio backdrop that includes drapery and a classical vase stand, subtly contrasting with the grit and rough-hewn realism of the men themselves. Two sit in the foreground, legs crossed with a relaxed authority, while three stand behind them. All are dressed in frontier attire: wide-brimmed hats, wool coats, high boots, and neckerchiefs. Their layered clothing suggests the chill of the high desert West. The expressions vary slightly—some show stoic resolve, others a more neutral bearing—but none of the men are smiling. Their faces are rugged, with prominent cheekbones, strong jaws, and thick mustaches. The man at center back smokes a cigar, and one gets the sense that these are men of action—likely cowboys, ranchers, or possibly even lawmen or miners. The man seated at the right front—wearing a wide-brimmed hat, dark scarf, and white canvas trousers with riveted side seams—commands particular attention. His intense gaze and imposing posture suggest he may have been a leader among them. The others wear expressions of cool composure, unified by the weathered look of men who knew hard labor or possibly the frontier justice of the American West. Written in blue ink on the reverse of the card is an identification key, apparently penned by someone familiar with at least some of the sitters: James D. Glenn, Frank Taylor, Mr. Johnson. An inscription reveals that the men are all friends of James Glenn. It is likely that this photograph belonged to Mr. Glenn. This photograph was taken by a female photographer. Mrs. R. I. Mills was an early female photographer working in the American West—an unusual and significant occupation for a woman at the time. Her studio was located in Oakley, Idaho, a small Mormon-founded settlement in Cassia County. Historical records show that Mrs. Rachel I. Mills operated a photography studio in Oakley in the late 19th century. She was part of a small but growing number of frontier women who ran their own commercial photography studios. Though little has been published about her biography, her studio was active around the 1880s–1890s, a time when Oakley was transitioning from a pioneer settlement into a more established town with irrigation agriculture and Mormon communal development. Founded in the early 1880s by Mormon settlers, Oakley was a rural, religiously conservative community that grew around farming and ranching. It sat on the edge of the high desert and became a local hub for commerce in southern Idaho. During the time this photograph was likely taken—circa 1890—Oakley would have been a small but lively town, with residents involved in cattle ranching, grain farming, and trade. (SOLD)
Look who’s riding into town! Its the Roberts brothers. Someone better go get the sheriff. This real photo postcard is quite interesting. The boys look comfortable on their horses. The kids are on large horses, not small ponies reserved for inexperienced child riders.They appear to know what they are doing. One of the boys has a whip. No cowboy hats for these guys. One is wearing a wide brim bowler while the other is sporting a cap. Note the dirt streets. The town may actually be a frontier town in the “old west”. Also take notice of the boy standing on the sidewalk. He seems truly interested in the horseback riders, or perhaps, the photographer. The young bystander is wearing knickers. The AZO stamp box on this postcard reveals that it was likely published sometime between 1904 and 1918. The cameraman was a studio photographer who was willing to take difficult photographs in the outdoors. (SOLD)
This cabinet card photograph features a Michigan cowboy. If he is not a cowboy, he certainly is wearing a cowboy-like hat. This fellow has long hair. It is unusually long hair for the cabinet card era. The photographer of this portrait is Obadiah A. Kelley. He was a photographer in Ann Arbor, Michigan from at least 1862 and 1898. He was located at the 6 Huron Street address from 1886 until 1893. He was born in Vermont. He married Mary Elizabeth Frost in 1842. The couple had three sons. One son enlisted as a private in the First United States Sharp Shooters (Company F) and died of disease at City Point, Virginia in 1864. He served only slightly more than a month before meeting his end. Obadiah’s wife died in 1879. In 1880, he married Amelia Walker. An 1889 article in a local Ann Arbor newspaper, “The Argus” reports Obadiah’s brush with the spiritual world. A resident clairvoyant believed that the spirits were active in her community. To test her conviction, she hired Obadiah to accompany her and a friend to “one of the most romantic parts of the boulevard” and take their photograph. The newspaper reports a strange occurrence upon Obadiah removing the negative from the camera. He was shocked to see twelve figures in the photo, rather than the two figures he expected. The writer posits that Obadiah could never be convinced to take any more pictures on the boulevard again if there were any clairvoyants around. Note the chip in the top left hand corner of this cabinet card. Overall, this photograph is in good condition (see scans). (SOLD)
Three young men have a great time posing for their photo at a photo studio. They are in terrific costumes and two of the three subjects have drawn pistols. The Indian has a feather in his hair, the cowboy is wearing wooly chaps, and the Mexican bandito is wearing a sombrero. The reverse of this vintage real photo postcard has a stamped name, “Giuseppe Cervello”. Cervello is likely the photographer of this image. This postcard was once a resident of a scrap book or postcard album as can be seen by the black page remnants affixed to the reverse of the card. The stamp box indicates that this postcard was published between 1907-1915. (SOLD) 
This vintage real photo postcard features two riders on horseback. Who are these cowboys? They may be cowpokes, ranch hands, or prospectors. They are equipped with some tools of their trade. One rider has a shovel and a rope, while the other cowboy has a rope and an unidentifiable tool. The men are riding in the brush. This is not a studio photograph. These wranglers appear to be the real thing. The velox stamp box on this postcard indicates that this photo was taken sometime between 1907 and 1917.
A relaxed cowboy with a wry smile poses for this vintage real photo postcard. The image is taken in a photographic studio likely located in the western United States. The cowboy is wearing a vest and a pocket watch. He is holding a pipe. His lace shoes seem to have kicked around a lot of dust in their time. The postcard’s AZO stamp box indicates that it was produced sometime between 1904 and 1918.
The reverse of this vintage real photo postcard indicates that the cowboy pictured on the front is named Geoffrey. My guess is that Geoffrey is a studio cowboy. His clothing, gun, holster, fringed chaps, and ten gallon hat were likely borrowed from a photography studio’s prop department. Geoffrey is not a convincing looking cowpoke or gunslinger. He has soft hands and a soft face. He certainly hasn’t been on too many cattle drives. However, this postcard is quite nice. The subject is well posed and the close-up perspective works well. An inscription on the card’s reverse reveals that he postcard photo was taken in 1922. The stamp box discloses that the publisher of the postcard stock was Vester & Company from Great Britain.
This vintage real photo postcard captures two cowboys in an interesting scene. One of the cow pokes is tied up as if he’s a criminal. “They hang horse thieves around these parts” says the cowboy to his prisoner. Heaven forbid! Although this image is a studio photo and the cowboys almost definitely borrowed their cowboy outfits from the photographer’s prop room, the men’s costumes are terrific. Their western hats, neckerchiefs, belts, and wooly chaps make the image look authentic. The rope is a nice touch. The photographer who took this photograph was certainly seeking realism. The AZO stamp box on the reverse of this postcard informs us that the image was produced sometime between 1904 and 1918. This photo postcard reminds me of one of my favorite cabinet cards in the Cabinet Card Gallery. You can view the cabinet card by clicking the link below.
This Cabinet card pictures, what appears to be, two Native American or possibly African American cowboys wearing their cow punching clothing. The cowboy on the left is wearing a western hat, a neckerchief, and wooly chaps. I do not know what he wearing over his lower arms and wrists. The cowboy on the right has his western hat, neckerchief, and is wearing spurs on his boots. The photographer is Elliott of Marion, Iowa. Marion was established in 1839 and named after popular figure General Marion. The courthouse in Marion was the location of the recruitment of nine full companies which fought for the Union in the Civil War. The area was known as the most patriotic part of Iowa.
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