We are an authorized, direct-from-the-publisher retailer of NEW books. Our titles are ON HAND and available for immediate shipping. Table of Contents In 1991, I published "The Idaho Cowboy," a photographic essay showing a way of life many people assumed had disappeared from the American landscape. In that book, I intended to portray cowboy life as it really is--the hard work, the sweat, the fatigue, and the fun. Now, I have turned my attention to the other stuff the cowboy legend is made of: the gear. What would a cowboy be without his saddle, his spurs, his chaps and boots? In these pages, you will find examples of the finest cowboy gear ever made. Each year, cowboy and Western memorabilia grows in popularity and value. There have been plenty of books written about cowboy collectibles, but nobody has ever taken the gear and shown what it actually looked like on the cowboys, how it was used, and why certain craftsmen's work was favored over gear made by others. That is what we have done here. The idea for Cowboy Gear was planted during our work on The Idaho Cowboy, when Charlie Smith and I started using items from our personal collections of Western memorabilia on the photo shoots. After the images were developed, I realized I had never before seen color photographs of the gear. When the film came back and I saw these dusty artifacts rendered in their glorious original colors, it excited me, and I thought it would excite other collectors. Although I am a collector and rancher, I didn't know much about the origins and evolution of cowboy gear. I decided to do a book about the early cowboys and their gear so I could learn at the same time as all my friends and fellow collectors. That's what we have here. Charlie and I hope you enjoy it. Dave Stoecklein, Summer 1993
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