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Counting Steers: 1940
March 1940. "Cowboy asleep in cattle show barn at San Angelo Fat Stock Show. At nearby stock shows the working cowboys bring along their camp beds and sleep in the barns." The tag on our buckaroo's suitcase reads "R.R. Walston." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
There's nothing more to say.
That post transformed 50 pages of cultural anthropology to a handful of indelible scents!
A Whiff of Cowboy Culture
One of my favorite Shorpy pastimes is an an olfactory exploration of photos. I don't know why my mind goes there immediately with some photos - I guess they trigger memories, which are tied to the brain's Limbic System, which I've discussed on this platform previously.
My list of odors associated with this photo:
Stale hay (different from fresh hay - dustier)
Graham Crackers
Slightly mildewed sleeping bag
Horses, and the apples thereof
Oats
Leather
Hair Oil (bet he's a Dapper Dan man)
A boy-foot miasma from socks, boots, and sneakers
A smouldering campfire outside (or possibly a fire in an oil drum to contain sparks)
Addendum: Don't know if s'mores were a "thing" in 1940, but the makings are all there:
Graham Crackers: CHECK (whole carton of them)
Chocolate Bar: CHECK (wrapper near young Mr. Walston's left shoulder
Marshmallows: CHECK (presuming the paper bag to the right of his grip is full of them)
Goober Pea
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