Bit And Spur Makers In The Texas Tradition

This is the definitive book on all the old bit and spur makers of the Texas region who were working between 1870 and 1970. There are 63 makers featured with stunning photographs of their work, their maker's mark and a biography of each maker. The origins of the Texas style are traced in the history of bits and spurs brought to the New World from England, France and Spain.

A handy reference guide to 65 Texas-style bit and spur makers working between 1870 and 1970 in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico and a few other states. It includes an indication of collectibility, value and scarcity for each maker's work, as well as portraits of the maker, time lines of when and where they worked and photographs of their pieces and how they marked them.

This handsome book covers bit-and-spur makers through all of the Western states as well as Mexico and the Northeast. Detailed timelines and maps of each region locate makers and saddleries. A valuable research tool for anyone interested in cowboy gear, Bit and Spur Makers In the Vaquero Tradition gives one a glimpse of life in the West when horses were the primary means of transportation.

Spanish is an important source for terms and expressions that have made their way into the English of the southwestern United States. Vocabulario Vaquero/Cowboy Talk is the first book to list all Spanish-language terms pertaining to two important activities in the American West-ranching and cowboying-with special reference to American Indian terms that have come through Spanish. In addition to presenting the most accurate definitions available, this A-to-Z lexicon traces the etymology of words and critically reviews and assesses the specialized English sources for each entry. It is the only dictionary of its kind to reference Spanish sources. The scholarly treatment of this volume makes it an essential addition to the libraries of linguists and historians interested in Spanish/English contact in the American West. Western enthusiasts of all backgrounds will find accessible entries full of invaluable information. Robert N. Smead is Associate Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Brigham Young University. Ronald Kil is a New Mexico cowboy and artist who has worked on ranches and feedlots all over the West. Richard W. Slatta is Professor of History at North Carolina State University and the author of numerous books, including Comparing Cowboys and Frontiers.

Winner of the American Horse Publication's Best Equine Book Award of the Year (2004) Finalist for the 2005 Ben Franklin Award Spanning time and technique, THE ART OF THE WESTERN SADDLE is a celebration and visual feast of the graceful artistry of the western saddler and his craft. Filled with detailed photographs and illustrations, this book celebrates the saddle as a decorative hallmark of subtle beauty while fulfilling the utility of its principal purpose. The ability for early man to domesticate and ride the horse created the rapid advancement of man's capability to travel and explore. The saddle-the epitome of form following function-evolved to meet the utilitarian needs of the rider and his tasks, be they work or pleasure. Illustrated with historic and contemporary examples of saddle style and decoration, THE ART OF THE WESTERN SADDLE highlights the work of makers such as Visalia Stock Saddle Company, Meana, Miles City Saddlery, Porter, Hamley, Edward H. Bohlin, McCabes, and Keyston Bros., along with contemporary makers such as Chas Weldon, Dale Harwood, Chuck Stormes, Don Butler, Chuck Treon, Jeremiah Watt, and many others. Many saddles of the stars are featured from the golden age of the Hollywood Western; these include outfits belonging to the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Barbara Stanwyck, Ken Maynard, and Buck Jones. THE ART OF THE WESTERN SADDLE also provides a look at the many exquisite and unpublished examples of the finest in silver and gold overlay and filigree saddle silver created by the West's preeminent metalsmiths. Featuring 300 photographs, this volume is an absolute must for all equestrians, as well as for collectors and admirers of this unique and totally American craft.

Includes material on August Buermann, North & Judd, John Robert McChesney and the Texas-style spur, P.M. Kelly, Oscar Crockett and the Crockett Bit & Spur Company, Bischoff and Shipley, Robert Lincoln Causey, Joe Bianchi and the Victoria Shank, the Boone family, J.O. Bass, Jess Hodge, E.F. Blanchard, Adolph Bayers.