Woodsy,
As a follow-up to Arto's 'Laramie' gun set, here I am in one of my childhood costumes in 1959.
Dressing up as Cowboys, Indians, Civil War soldiers, or Army men was really big back in the '50s and although I had several costumes as a kid, this is the only photo I have of me in one of them.
Okay to blog (heck, I certainly don't look like that anymore!!).
Notice the TV dinner tray to the left. Did you have those as a kid?
From Fort Las Vegas
Ed
Great shot, Ed! Ain't no messing with this dude!
ReplyDeleteThanx Arto! I generally don't like photos of myself but this is such old school fun it's hard not to like.
DeleteA great shot, and a great outfit.
ReplyDeleteThat reminds me - way back in the 1960s I had a pair of black gumboots with moulded cowboy designs on the sides. But I can not remember exactly what - perhaps lassos or something ? I have not thought of those in decades. Loved them.
Thanx Paul! It almost seems universal that kids dressed up in some form or other to role play back in the day. That's something you certainly don't see today.
DeleteI just realized that it would be normal for kids to dress as cowboys if they grew up in the American West. On the other hand dressing that way in Europe would be more of a statement.
ReplyDeleteWhere were you living when this photo was taken?
It was normal anywhere you lived in the States back then. I lived in Milwaukee. The Sears, Montgomery Wards, and J.C. Penney Christmas Wishbook's had pages of costumes for boys and girls to role play.
DeleteIn 1959 age 11, I visited NYC and remember a Candy Store in Brooklyn that had a moulded black plastic gun belt with two holsters and two silver cap firing six shooters. It had bullets all around the back of the belt. I tried it on but it was too small, it was the most realistic toy set I have ever seen. If it had fit I would have kept it to this day!
DeleteWhat a snap of a great and simpler time Ed. You look pleased as punch dressed up like that! Who were your cowboy heros back then?
ReplyDeleteThat's a loaded question Woodsy! Even though there were only three networks at the time (ABC, CBS & NBC - and briefly the DuMont Network before they closed shop) there were scores of Westerns. Some of it was new programming, while some were reruns of the serials popular in the '30s and '40s. Some of my favorites:
DeleteRoy Rogers (my very best favorite)
Gene Autry
Wild Bill Hickock
The Cisco Kid
The Lone Ranger
Rin Tin Tin (set in Fort Apache)
Tales of The Texas Rangers
Bat Masterson
Death Valley Days
Have Gun Will Travel
and modern era cowboys like Sky King