Queen of criminalsThe female horseback rider pictured here is Belle Starr who lived in the Indiana Territory. What is unique about Starr is that she had a strange attraction to bandits and outlaws. She even married a number of alleged Wild West criminals including Sam Starr and Jim Reed. This photo was taken in 1886, just three years before Starr was murdered under mysterious circumstances. Starr was a criminal herself as she was convicted of horse theft three years prior to this photo being taken. Line upThis group of Native Americans look like they are lining up to head into battle back in 1890. However, this is far from the truth asthey are actually participating in the show we’ve already mentioned a couple of times, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.
Perhaps the creepiest photos from the old West are the ones that are hard to explain – the scary old photos made scarier by their total lack of context. This kind of disturbing photography, combined with the gruesome photos popular at the time, makes for an unsettling collection that's pretty hard to shake.
Bill’s show was an open-air theatrical performance that often romanticized the American frontier to audiences. In addition to performers showing off their sharp shooting skills, there are often reenactments of historical events which might be what is going on here. Protesting for rightsOne issue that has been a controversial one for most of American history is the treatment of Native American people.
Images Of The Old West Indian Leather Fringe
Native Americans have faced challenges and been mistreated throughout history but there is still controversy today about logos and offensive names that include references to Native American people. Here we see Sacheen Littlefeather who appeared as an activist for Native American civil rights at the 45th Oscars. She accepted Marlon Brando’s award for best actor as the actor himself protested the ceremony.