An Excursive Mind

Mountaineer carrying a goat

I’m always drawn to vintage photography of mountaineers, lumberjacks, miners, field hands, and laborers of all kinds. The classic laborers clothing and tools that it took to get the job done right is a fascination and obsession of mine.

This particular image is great for some many reasons. The mismatched striped pants and coat of a heavy denim kind common at the time. The thick canvas or leather gators and tweed hat are nice as well. There even seems to be a glint of a pinkie ring on this fine mountain climbing chap.

The goat is excellent though! Clearly this image was taken in a studio. Did they come all the way down from the summit to stage this image? Was this the same goat from all the way up top? Is resting the goats bottom on the back of your neck, the most efficient way to carry his carcass? We’ll never know.

• Title: S.A. Crawford carrying a goat
• Other Title: S.A. Crawford on the summit of White Pass, Sept. 3rd 1905
• Creator(s): Case & Draper, photographer
• Date Created/Published: 1905 Sept. 3.
• Medium: 1 photographic print.
• Summary: Studio portrait showing man carrying a goat over his shoulder, in front of a painted backdrop of snow-covered mountains.
• Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-ppmsc-01711 (digital file from original)
• Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.
• Access Advisory: No known restrictions on reproduction.
• Call Number: LOT 11453-1, no. 156
  c-P&P
• Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
• Notes:
  • Title transcribed from caption accompanying item.
  • Forms part of: Frank and Frances Carpenter collection (Library of Congress).
  • Gift; Mrs. W. Chapin Huntington; 1951.