ERWIN E SMITH Cowboy and Cooking Wagon JA Ranch, Texas 1908, 3.6x4.6" 1907 Silver Collodion Print ASG# EES/1578 from the Erwin Smith Laton Huffman album.

This famous photograph of the chuck wagon was made on the JA Ranch. John Adair was Charles Goodnight's British financial partner in the Goodnight ranch. Charles Goodnight invented the chuck wagon or Cowboy cooking wagon and shown here is the classic view of Goodnight's invention.

Erwin E. Smith (b. 1886, Honey Grove, Texas; d. 1947, Bonham, Texas) As a teenager Smith became a skilled cowboy who constantly sketched scenes and read. Eventually, he combined his passion for art and western ranch life in photography. He began publishing images of cowboy life in 1905. He studied art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and then studied photography and art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. From 1905 to 1915 he was active photographing many ranching and cowboy outfits primarily in Texas and New Mexico, illustrating articles, and making photographic albums. He sporadically pursued these endeavors throughout his life while being involved with ranching and farming endeavors. Smith worked in gelatin and collodion silver prints ranging in size from 2.25 x 3.25" to 12 x 16" and slightly larger enlargements. His work is extremely rare.

Excellent. Minor wear