Cool Old West Photos That Prove Real Life Cowboys Were Better Than Any Movie

Sometimes we forget just how long the camera has been around. We still have a pretty good idea of what the Wild West really looked like, and it was awesome. Here are some cool Old West photos that show off this time period in all its glory.

The Old West’s Rockstars

Nowadays, we think of outlaw gunslingers as being exceptionally cool and kind of romantic. The same was true at the time.

Pearl Hart was one of the most famous outlaws of her day, thanks to an article in Cosmopolitan that detailed some of her crimes, including one of the era’s final stagecoach robberies.

Hart was eventually sent to jail, but was released in 1902 when she was pardoned – celebrities have always got off lightly when it comes to jail time.

A Casual Wager

Here, in a photo from 1900, men are gambling over a popular game called Faro. This bar in Bisbee, Arizona would have served the opportunity to play this game regularly.

The Cow Boy

This photo, taken by miner John C. H. Grabill, shows a cowboy in his field. The photo is entitled “The Cow Boy,” and is a quintessential picture of the era.

Ned Christie

Ned Christie was a Cherokee statesman, serving in politics for a large portion of his life. Alas, he is more famous for the “Ned Cherokee War,” the name given to the efforts of lawmen to arrest him following a (historically dubious) claim that he murdered a US marshal.