[imported_delmonico]

I'm still up workin' on a couple things and remembered someone wanted a picture for this weekend. well I have one, a lady this time, a real Cowgirl. When I first saw this picture doin' the search "shotgun" I thought I had found a photo of a Wild West Show performer. Miss Sadie Austin, near Simeon, Cherry County Nebraska 1900.

Picture 12988 Butcher Collection.

However Butchers notes and John Carter's notes does not meantion "Wild West Show" performer. I am pretty sure if she was that would have been meantioned in Butcher's notes.

(Photographer's note: Daughter of Charles Austin, a ranchman and old settler of Sargent, Nebraska. When her father was short of help, Sadie, now Mrs. Thompson, would put on a divided skirt and ride the range for her father.)

{In 1981, Robert Vaughn Bell identified the saddle on Austin's horse as being a model 14-P, made by the well-known Cheyenne, Wyoming, saddler Frank Meanea.}

The skirt appears to be some sort of leather, a wise idea if ground work was needed because of the cacti and sandburrs common in the area.

The pistole is a model 1851 Colt Navy with a carved ivory handle. The ladies top is bottoned right on this one so she must be left handed. The shotgun is a Model 1897 Winchester.

And it is almost tommorow/today here.

 

[imported_Belles mom]

I would think riding a horse in a skirt (any anything else cow"boyish") would be very uncomfortable!

 

[Labs4life]

Thanks Glen! I was hoping for a weekend pic. I always show SU the history posts. My wife is a history buff, but more towards agricultural areas of Central New York at the turn of the century. My wife hails from Cooperstown, NY and has deep family roots to the area.

 

[Guest]

Great picture! You never fail to find something interesting!!

 

[kaisdad]

Her pistol has a round barrel. The 1851 Navy had an octagon barrel. I know this because I used to own one. The 1861 Navy went to a round barrel, but the the rest of the gun looks wrong for that. Actually, the gun looks like an 1851 Navy in every regard except the barrel. I would suggest that perhaps the original barrel was swapped out at some point. Perhaps when the gun was converted to brass cartridge firing?

 

[imported_delmonico]

Her pistol has a round barrel. The 1851 Navy had an octagon barrel. I know this because I used to own one. The 1861 Navy went to a round barrel, but the the rest of the gun looks wrong for that. Actually, the gun looks like an 1851 Navy in every regard except the barrel. I would suggest that perhaps the original barrel was swapped out at some point. Perhaps when the gun was converted to brass cartridge firing?

I went back and double checked the full resaloution picture, it has the octogon barrel, but the lower resaloution one doesn't show clear. Also double checked and it still has the nipples and it is not loaded or at least capped. I'll post that part of the photo later at full resaloution, I need it anyway for the other board I posted it on.

I would now, but haven't got a program to do it at work here.

 

[kaisdad]

It's almost like it's a staged photo. The dress has obviously been in storage, judging from the folds, and a cap and ball pistol with no caps. Kind of interesting.

 

[CJs Mom]

Cool pic! Thanks for the info as always!

 

[imported_delmonico]

It's almost like it's a staged photo. The dress has obviously been in storage, judging from the folds, and a cap and ball pistol with no caps. Kind of interesting.

Shhh, don't tell every one of the wanna be Cowboy shooters/Living Historions, they all will try to tell you wimmin back then never wore pants, except Clamity Jane. ;D No they just didn't get photographed doin' it. Yah, glass plate photos are hard not to stage. Although there were C&B pistols being used yet in that era, they still worked as good as they ever did, I would not be afraid to trust my life to one, even a replica if I could tune the replica a bit.

 

[kaisdad]

I had no problems with my Colt replica at all. However, once the chambers are loaded with a ball and powder, the cap provided a barrier against moisture getting to the powder. So, this clue suggests the gun isn't loaded and was a prop for the photo. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[imported_delmonico]

I polish all the inards on the Italian replics to make them work with out as much friction. Some are good, some need work. The originals were hand polished inside, it sure speeded up the lock time on my Sharps.

 

[rottnlab dad]

Very cool picture. Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[imported_delmonico]

Her pistol has a round barrel. The 1851 Navy had an octagon barrel. I know this because I used to own one. The 1861 Navy went to a round barrel, but the the rest of the gun looks wrong for that. Actually, the gun looks like an 1851 Navy in every regard except the barrel. I would suggest that perhaps the original barrel was swapped out at some point. Perhaps when the gun was converted to brass cartridge firing?

Here is the full size picture, that's why I like these Butcher photos scanned from negatives.

In the full size you can see the octagon barrel, also the rammer is the older type like on the Dragoon model, the 1861 besides the round barrel also has the rammer like the 1860 Army. These better pictures let you get into the details, I sure wish more photographers would have saved the negatives.