by Nancy Schaut

This article was first published in my Equine Images column, "Found in the Attic"

Photograph courtesy of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Historical Committee

Rodeo originated in the post Civil War era when hard-working ranch hands got a little time off after the cattle and crops were on their way to market. These cowboys didn’t sit around the campfire bragging about their skills for very long before they were challenged to prove their expertise. A crowd quickly gathered around to see just how long Shorty could stay on that devil horse. These events quickly evolved into an annual tradition. As the crowds grew, these cowboy competitions became so popular that people started organizing the events, charging admission, and inviting the cowboys and cowgirls to compete for prizes of cash or cowboy gear.

Events like Prescott, Arizona’s Frontier Days, Calgary’s Exhibition and Stampede, and Cheyenne’s Frontier Days have been around for over a hundred years. Local rodeos from Pendleton, Oregon (beginning in 1910) to Arcadia, Florida (beginning in 1929) gave hard-working folks a chance to let off steam and earn a little extra money or a new saddle.

Bronc riding has always been one of the most popular rodeo contests. It was an everyday occurrence to the men and women who broke horses for ranch use, but an exciting and dangerous event for the spectator. Rodeo broncs earned their reputations. Fans knew the horses by name and they were as popular as the men and women who attempted to ride them. A cowboy’s luck depended on the horse he drew in the pre-rodeo lottery. Drawing an ornery horse named Whirlwind, Holy Smoke, Five Minutes to Midnight, Hell Cat, or Torpedo could scare even the most seasoned bronc buster.

This bucking bronco image was a natural for rodeo posters, programs, and souvenir pennants. The Pendleton Roundup’s registered "Let 'er buck" logo — a cowboy on a bucking horse — was developed by a young artist named Wallace Smith, and was copyrighted in 1925. It continues to adorn all Pendleton Round Up memorabilia including programs, silk scarves, jackets, and t-shirts.

Posters, however, are the most widely collected of all rodeo memorabilia. Matted and framed, these colorful depictions of rodeo action are nothing less than objets d'art. Their desirability and price depends on age, condition, color, and the artwork itself.

"Some posters are rare but they are not striking or colorful so the demand is not great," explained Calgary Stampede enthusiast and dealer, Gerry Frost. "Collectors look for vivid graphics and posters with famous people such as the 1960 Calgary Stampede poster featuring Roy Rogers."

The condition of the paper is also very important. Posters were often folded and stored flat as keepsakes, or glued to a board for display. Those that were hung outdoors to advertise the event can be faded and have tack holes in the corners. While fading lessens the value, tack holes and slight edge wear are acceptable to collectors.

Common 1920s-30s rodeo posters only bring between $150-300 in the current (depressed) market, but those designed by famous artists such as Charles M. Russell, Jo Mora, and Edward Borein can sell for much more.

This poster is from the 1923 Calgary, Alberta, Canada Stampede and Exhibition. Designed by California artist and cowboy Edward Borein (1872-1945), it features an unknown cowboy aboard "I-see-u", a famous bronc. It is said that Borein got the commission because of his friendship with Russell.

In 1907, Borein had traveled to New York to study art. There, he met another displaced cowboy, Charles M. Russell, and the two remained friends throughout their lives. Edward Borein would always be known as the "cowpuncher artist". He was intimately familiar with the Western scenes he portrayed as he had worked as both a saddlemaker and a ranch hand before making a living as an artist. Borein rarely used a model, relying instead on his phenomenal memory of the cowboys, horses and ranch scenes he had personally known. It was once said that "for every horse he drew, Edward Borein had ridden a hundred".

An original of this poster with good color and no major rips or water damage could bring $1,000-1,500. Collectors should be aware, however, that this poster was reproduced at least twice.

Reproductions will be marked in the lower right corner, although the printer’s marks may be hidden by a mat or frame or even trimmed off completely. A reproduction is valued at about $50.