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These 34 vintage photographs capture the real cowboys – not the Hollywood version, but the dust-covered, weather-beaten men who actually worked the ranges. Long before John Wayne made it look glamorous, these cowboys were earning their dollar a day herding cattle, breaking horses, and sleeping under the stars. Shot as far back as the 1880s, these images show the authentic American West: the worn leather chaps, the thousand-yard stares, the makeshift camps, and yes, even some surprisingly diverse faces that history books often overlooked. This is the Old West as it really was – gritty, tough, and absolutely fascinating.

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#1

Cowboy Trick Rider, 1909

Vintage cowboy performing rodeo trick on horse in dusty arena, showcasing wild west skills from historic cowboy photographs.

Museum of History and Industry Report

Final score:
13points
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    #2

    Mikasuki Indian Cowboys Stanford And Josie Jumper, Dania Reservation, 1958

    Two men wearing cowboy hats sitting outdoors in vintage cowboy photograph capturing life in the old West.

    State Library and Archives of Florida Report

    Final score:
    12points
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    mel-c-jmail avatar
    Mel in Georgia
    Mel in Georgia
    Community Member
    Premium     5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Old westerns depict cowboys as almost exclusively white. In truth there were many Native Americans, Blacks and Hispanics at home one the range.

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    #3

    Cowboys Crossing River, 1910

    Vintage cowboy photograph showing a group of cowboys on horseback driving cattle through a river in the wild west.

    Grant-Kohrs Ranch Historic Collection, bought by the National Park Service in 1972 Report

    Final score:
    12points
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    #4

    Little Cowboy And A Horse, 1935

    Man holding child wearing cowboy hats standing next to a saddled horse in vintage cowboy photograph.

    The State Library of New South Wales, Sam Hood Report

    Final score:
    12points
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    #5

    Madsen, Ralph E. The Tall Cowboy. At Capitol, Shaking Hands With Senator Morris Sheppard, 1919

    Vintage cowboy in western attire shaking hands with a man in a suit on grand building steps, vintage cowboy photograph.

    Library of Congress Report

    Final score:
    12points
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    john_sanborn avatar
    Who? Me?
    Who? Me?
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ralph Madsen, known as the Tallest Texan Cowboy, was above 7 feet 6 inches (2.28 meters) tall and weighed 228 pounds (104 kg).

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    #6

    George Pendleton Pendleton Round Up Rodeo, 1911

    Vintage cowboy dressed in traditional gear with hat and chaps posing confidently holding a lasso in an old photograph.

    wikimedia Report

    Final score:
    11points
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    #7

    Cowboy Doing Rope Tricks, 1909

    Vintage cowboy on horseback skillfully twirling a lasso in an outdoor setting with trees and a white fence behind.

    Museum of History and Industry Report

    Final score:
    11points
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    #8

    Little Cowboy On Horse, 1935

    Young child dressed as a cowboy riding a horse in a vintage cowboy photograph from the Old West era.

    The State Library of New South Wales, Sam Hood Report

    Final score:
    11points
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    #9

    "The Cow Boy", Taken Near Sturgis, Dakota Territory (Now South Dakota), 1888

    Vintage cowboy on horseback wearing a wide-brimmed hat and leather gear in an open field from the wild west era.

    John C. H. Grabill Report

    Final score:
    10points
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    #10

    Mrs. Hoover And Cowboy Band, 1929

    Vintage cowboy band dressed in western attire with instruments, posing outside a historic building in the old West era.

    Library of Congress Report

    Final score:
    10points
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    #11

    Cowboy, 1907

    Vintage cowboy sitting on the ground beside his saddled horse in a vast open plain with grazing horses in this vintage cowboy photograph.

    Erwin Evans Report

    Final score:
    10points
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    #12

    Vicente Oropeza - Master Of Trick Roping, 1895

    Vintage cowboy on horseback raising a hat in a scenic outdoor setting, showcasing historic Western life and culture.

    centerofthewest Report

    Final score:
    10points
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    #13

    Plunging Bronco, Bar Diamond Bar Range, Circa 1909

    Vintage cowboy riding a rearing horse in an open field, showcasing wild west action in a classic cowboy photograph.

    Library of Congress Report

    Final score:
    10points
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    #14

    Wild Horse And Cowboy At Tupperware "Jubilee" - Orange County, Florida, 1955

    Vintage cowboy riding a bucking horse in an open field, showcasing classic western style and cowboy culture.

    State Library and Archives of Florida Report

    Final score:
    9points
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    #15

    Three Boys Dressed As A Cowboys With Their Horses: Saint Petersburg, Florida, 1947

    Three young boys dressed as vintage cowboys stand in front of their horses in a western outdoor setting.

    State Library and Archives of Florida Report

    Final score:
    9points
    POST
    #16

    Cowboys Play Palmetto Polo: New Smyrna Beach, Florida, 1953

    Vintage cowboy photograph showing men on horseback playing ball in a dusty outdoor arena with spectators watching.

    State Library and Archives of Florida Report

    Final score:
    9points
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    #17

    Trick Roper Danny Coflin Of Odessa Performing At The Florida Folk Festival: White Springs, Florida, 1970

    Young cowboy performing a vintage lasso trick in front of an audience, capturing the spirit of the wild west.

    State Library and Archives of Florida Report

    Final score:
    9points
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    #18

    Marvin Lacy At The Florida Folk Festival, White Springs, 1957

    Vintage cowboy playing guitar outdoors, wearing a western shirt and cowboy hat in a classic old west setting.

    State Library and Archives of Florida Report

    Final score:
    9points
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    #19

    Cowboys, Near Douglas, Arizona, Circa 1885

    Vintage cowboy photograph showing six men in wide-brimmed hats and period attire posing in a rustic indoor setting.

    True West Magazine Report

    Final score:
    9points
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    #20

    Cowboy At Rodeo, Quemado, New Mexico, 1940

    Vintage cowboy wearing a hat holding ropes near a wooden fence with horses in a classic western ranch setting.

    Russell Lee Report

    Final score:
    8points
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    #21

    Tex Mortons Cowboy Roadshow A Study Of A Cowboy, 1938

    Vintage cowboy dressed in Western attire holding a lasso with saddle gear on the floor in a studio setting

    State Library of New South Wales, Sam Hood Report

    Final score:
    8points
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    #22

    Cowboy Hugh Taylor Being Bucked From His Bronco Ride At The Round-Up, Pendleton, Oregon, 1912

    Vintage cowboy photograph from the early 1900s showing a rider bucking off a horse during a roundup event.

    Alaska, Western Canada and United States Collection Report

    Final score:
    8points
    POST
    #23

    Seminole Indian Cowboy Charley Micco And Grandson Fred Smith On Horseback In A Cattle Ranch- Brighton Reservation, Florida, 1950

    Two cowboys on horseback in a vintage black and white photograph capturing the old West and cowboy culture.

    State Library and Archives of Florida Report

    Final score:
    8points
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    #24

    W. Eslinger (Left) And Don Massey Preparing Sticks From Palmetto For A Polo Game: New Smyrna Beach, Florida, 1954

    Two vintage cowboys wearing hats riding horses through dense foliage in a historic western setting.

    State Library and Archives of Florida Report

    Final score:
    8points
    POST
    #25

    Cowboy On Horse In Field, British Columbia, Canada, 1904

    Vintage cowboy wearing a hat and chaps sits on horseback near a river in a mountainous wild west landscape.

    Wm. Notman and Son Report

    Final score:
    8points
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    #26

    Red Slate Mountain, 1963

    Vintage cowboy on horseback overlooking mountainous landscape in an old western setting from vintage cowboy photographs.

    JoJan Report

    Final score:
    8points
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    #27

    Cowboys Eating Out On The Range, Chuck Wagon In Background, Between Ca. 1880 And Ca. 1910

    Group of vintage cowboys eating by a wagon and horses in an open field during the era when the West was wild.

    Library of Congress Report

    Final score:
    7points
    POST
    #28

    Cowboy, At The Montana, Around 1910

    Vintage cowboy on horseback in open plains with rope, embodying classic western life in vintage cowboy photographs.

    Grant-Kohrs Ranch Historic Collection, bought by the National Park Service in 1972 Report

    Final score:
    7points
    POST
    #29

    Horse-Overwhelming Cowboy, 1911

    Vintage cowboy riding a bucking horse in a classic wild west scene showcasing authentic cowboy photographs.

    wikimedia Report

    Final score:
    7points
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    #30

    Miles City Cowboys Saloon, 1880

    Vintage cowboy photograph showing men relaxing outside a rustic saloon in the wild west with a saddled horse nearby.

    infobae Report

    Final score:
    7points
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    #31

    Cowboy Looking For A Job, 1906

    Vintage cowboy on horseback with a pack horse in a wide open field, capturing the spirit of the wild west era.

    Library of Congress Report

    Final score:
    7points
    POST
    #32

    Cowboys At The Xit Ranch, 1891

    Group of vintage cowboys in hats sitting outside a wooden building with dogs, capturing the old west cowboy lifestyle.

    Texas History Report

    Final score:
    6points
    POST
    #33

    Trick Roper Danny Coflin With Thelma Boltin, White Springs, 1970

    Young cowboy demonstrating lasso skills next to an elderly woman in a vintage cowboy photograph from the wild west era.

    State Library and Archives of Florida Report

    Final score:
    6points
    POST
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    #34

    Cowboys Of The Grant-Kohrs Ranch, Montana, Around 1910

    Two vintage cowboys on horseback in an open field, showcasing classic cowboy attire and Western lifestyle.

    Grant-Kohrs Ranch Historic Collection, bought by the National Park Service in 1972 Report

    Final score:
    6points
    POST
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