Novelty Arcade Photo Studio
[Studio Cowboys, 3 Men]

Public Domain

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Images(5)

Artist Novelty Arcade Photo Studio (Los Angeles)Los Angeles

CultureAmerican

Titles

[Studio Cowboys, 3 Men]

Date1910s–1940s

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsImage: 5 3/8 × 3 3/8 in. (13.7 × 8.6 cm)
Sheet: 5 3/8 × 3 3/8 in. (13.7 × 8.6 cm)

Credit LineBarbara Levine and Paige Ramey Collection, museum purchase funded by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment

Object number2020.137.5.135

Not on view

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Department

Photography

Special Collections

Barbara Levine and Paige Ramey Collection

Object Type

PHOTOGRAPHS

DescriptionAt the turn of the 20th century, tourists and partygoers documented their adventures with souvenir photographic postcards. Photo studios catering to this clientele were popular attractions at state fairs, carnivals, and arcades across America. These personalized penny postcards were mailed across the country to family and friends or kept as personal mementos. One of the favored studio props was the “carnival cowboy”—an outrageous Western outfit and a saloon backdrop. Clients indulged their cowboy dreams and produced a whimsical souvenir.
ProvenanceBarbara Levine and Paige Ramey; purchased by MFAH, 2020.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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