Lives of the real Wild West cowboys revealed in fascinating unseen pics by British farmhand 130 years ago
FASCINATING never-before-seen photos of cowboys in the Wild West have come to light 130 years later.
The historical images were taken by a British farm worker and show life on the ranches of Colorado and New Mexico in the US in the 1880s.
One dramatic picture captures the thrilling moment a group of cowboys ride towards the camera with hats held aloft.
The unnamed Brit photographer would have documented his travel experience using these images which he collated into an album he brought back to the UK.
The snaps have been put up for sale from the deceased estate of a private collector from Surrey.
They will go under the hammer with Flints Auctions, of Reading, Berks, who expect them to fetch £500.
While the bulk of the images are believed to have been taken by the farmhand, the album also contains 13 larger prints by a professional photographer of the era, W.A White.
There are pictures of cattle ranching and farming, as well as snaps of a cattle round up and bustling street scenes in Taos, Santa Fe on San Geronimo day, a religious celebration.
In addition, there are breathtaking pictures of the Spanish Peaks in Colorado which the Ute Indians named 'Huajatolla', which translates as the 'breasts of the Earth'.
Keith Petts, director at Flints Auctions, said: "These are wonderful early images of cowboys and it is quite rare to find this breadth of images documenting everyday life on the ranches at the time.
"It was not until the 1890s that amateur photography really took off in the US.
"The album has been consigned from the family of a deceased estate of a collector of cameras and photos.
"It is possible that a British man went over from Surrey in the late 1880s to work on the ranches in America and kept this photographic record, bringing it back with him at some point."
The historic American cowboy, immortalised in Wild West films, arose from the vaquero – or cattle driver - traditions of northern Mexico.
It expanded into the states of California, Texas and the Dakotas after the American railroad was built fuelling a demand for beef across the country.
Cowboys would drive huge herds of cattle across America to market.
The sale takes place on June 21.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours