These old photos from the American West will make you yearn for a better time

Source: These old photos from the American West will make you yearn for a better time

(Pocket-lint) – There’s nothing like a dose of nostalgia in the morning. Old photographs from the very first days of using technology can often act as portals in times that we have a hard time properly imagining.

We’re all familiar with stories and films about the Old West, America’s semi-lawless lands of prospecting and exploration, but it’s fair to say that these fictional works are of limited help in painting a picture of what life was like. Fortunately, there are countless photos that show the peculiarities of life at that time.

We’ve rounded up some of our favorites for your surfing pleasure here – enjoy!

Natural beauty

This photo shows a natural view of what is Idaho today, and it’s truly stunning — it may be a while before you even notice the human figures checking it out for themselves in the foreground.

lunch time

This photo shows one of many geological surveys on a lunch break as they toured the country, and the ragged nature of the heap looks straight out of an adventure novel.

River bank

This is what you would call a proper convoy, with dozens of horses and riders strolling the banks of this river near Yellowstone, a seemingly typical representation of how humans travelled.

Mode of Transport

This riverboat, pictured in 1878, is the Rosebud, which sailed up and down the Missouri taking people along.

move people

Even with the advent of the railroad, most large groups moved in traditional ways, as evidenced by this column of cavalry and arms under the command of General George’s Custer. And yes, he actually is the Customer.

times are changing

This image shows Directors of the Union Pacific Railroad Company on the 100th Meridian, far west of Omaha, before a ride to celebrate the opening of the railroad. It’s a great portrait of how fast times have flown as technology has advanced.

For contrast

Meanwhile, travel elsewhere was still rudimentary, relying on ramshackle bridges and infrastructure like this one, pictured five years after the last picture on the Beaver Head River.

An old school coach

This stagecoach is an example of the type used by express delivery companies during this period – complete with the armed guards driving the carriage.

Demanding terrain

While the trains and boats sped up supply links across the US, some places still needed real hardy explorers to map them – like this expedition up the now-famous Pike’s Peak, which looks a lot like hard work to us.

assembly required

When you see a stagecoach with modern eyes, it’s easy to forget that it’s not just ready-made from any factory for most people. This deconstructed version reminds us that they required maintenance and often reassembly.

traversal

When it comes to covering challenging areas, slippery rocks under high sun aren’t as pretty either, as this group discovered in Utah in 1909, some time later than most of the photos we’ve shown so far.

laying tracks

Speaking of hard work, however, we’re not sure there’s anything better than laying railroad tracks in the sweltering Arizona heat as these workers toil.

A new world

Regardless of the fact that elsewhere in the country people no longer depended on horses and carriages, the automobile had arrived in America, as this picture from 1912 shows. Unfortunately, the street signage was no longer up-to-date for some time.

people change

This image shows a test drive of the new route between Denver and Salt Lake to see how stable and drivable it was – one of the cars is from the Denver Motor Club, showing how quickly cars found fans in America.

Record a course

Another image that shows how difficult it could be to get around the country, this trail on Colorado’s Pike’s Peak Road in 1911 shows that even in the 20th century it was still a real challenge.

journalism in the west

This photo shows the staff of a Utah magazine called the Daily Reporter in their office, a tent in a warehouse. It shows how harsh conditions were for many when settlements were established, but also how people managed to live their lives regardless.

A real character

We love this photo for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the cheeky grin on Fred Loring’s face — that’s him showing off his mule dubbed “Evil Merodach,” which for our money has to be in the running for the best pet name ever. Only two days later Loring would be killed by Apaches – such a time it was.

distant threat

This image shows a correspondent for the San Francisco Bulletin taking notes on the battlefield, and we like the contrast between his industrious demeanor and the armed caution of the soldiers to his left.

A nice place to stop

This expedition member pauses to sketch at a dry canyon bed in front of a stunning cliff. The parasol he is sitting under gives the scene a nice calm.

Wooded Seclusion

This image actually shows a photographer in action – John K. Hillers inspecting one of his negatives while camping on a geological survey trip.

Parched

This desert scene may look extremely remote when it’s actually in Carson Desert, Nevada. Nevertheless, the heat should not be underestimated. The photo shows the ambulance, which served as photographer Timothy O’Sullivan’s portable black room.

The old remains

Writing from Max Freeman-Mills. Edited by Adrian Willings.

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