An entry to Sepia Saturday "using old images as prompts for new reflections"
As soon as I saw those cows on the Sepia Saturday prompt I knew which picture I would use:
All the young cattle are on the move surrounding the still centre of my Grandmother, Winifred Swindlehurst. One of them looks to have a white band so I'm hoping its a Belted Galloway just because I think they are such pretty cows with their broad white stripe. But whatever they are they are rushing forward with lots of curiosity. I don't know what age she would be here but she was born in 1891 so possibly could be about 20? The cow on the right looks to be gazing into her eyes meanwhile she is laughing at the unknown photographer at the curious position she is in. Moving from the enclosed fields of Lancashire to the prairies of Canada
a tinted postcard of the early 20th Century "
Young Cow Punchers, Calgary". My Grandmother's two sisters emigrated to Canada, she was supposed to go with them but changed her mind at the last minute but they and their families sent postcards from Canada, always enclosed with letters, so unfortunately no handy date stamps.
The reverse of the divided back card indicates a date from 1903-1914 so at the time she was in the field with cows, say 1911, they write "
This is the way they catch the cattle on the Prairie when they want to brand them". (The cards often explained life in Canada). Whichever side of the Atlantic the families were on they could both have gone to the cinema in 1916 to watch the film directed and starring Tom Mix called "The Cowpunchers Peril". there always seemed to be lots of peril in silent films whether dramatic or comedic but they certainly produced them at a rate. I couldn't resist a filmography of Tom Mix especially with cowboy songs from a luscious voiced, but uncredited, singer.
