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March 1940. "Cowhand trying saddle at saddlery in Elko, Nevada." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
The company and store are still in Elko. http://capriolas.com
They're still in business.
I love the smell of a saddlery.
"What's it gonna take for me to get you into a saddle today, Sir?"
Our cowboy is wearing Levi's 501 Shrink to Fit jeans with a button fly, still available to this day. When new, the denim is like cardboard.
The ten-gallon cutout has more facial expression than the live ones. He seems to have had his eye on the floral-patterned saddle for some time. He's skeerd this pretty-boy upstart is aimin' to buy it out from under him.
When you're going in to buy a saddle you want to put on your best jeans and a neckerchief. A brand-new up-over-the-ears haircut is a good idea, too.
This big guy must be waiting for his mommy to finish shopping. I never saw a triple rider, though.
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