Cowboys and Cattlemen; A Roundup from Montana, the Magazine of Western History

New York: Hastings House, 1964 Illustrated with photographs and drawings, plus a frontispiece of original artwork by Irvin Shope depicting a cowboy on a horse with his lasso in his hand. Limited edition, one of 199 copies, signed by the editor Michael Kennedy. Bound in publisher's brown and white pony hide; publisher's pictorial slipcase. A fine copy of the book; in a good slipcase with some staining to panels. Overall, a stunning copy in a unique binding. This book contains a fine representation of articles from Montana, The Magazine of Western History and the selected stories "acquaint the reader with life on the cattle range in Montana, with minor reference to Wyoming and North Dakota, from its beginning in the 1860s until the end of the open range in the early twentieth century." While some are written by historians, others are reminiscences and first-hand accounts by cowboys, range men, and other early settlers to the region. A few of the stories included are "The Day of the Cattlemen Dawned Early in Montana" by Robert H. Fletcher, "First Trail Drive to Montana Territory" by Michael S. Kennedy, "Texas's Largest Ranch - in Montana" by Joe B. Frantz, and "Judith Basin Top Hand: William Burnett, Early Montana Cattlemen" by Michael S. Kennedy. Other authors include Pierre Wibaux, Con Kohrs, Moreton Frewen, Bob Fudge, William Burnett, and the Newman Brothers, with articles of Montana's early ranching days by L.A. Huffman, J. Frank Dobie, Mark H. Brown, Lewis Atherton, and Helena Huntington Smith, among others. Each of the 199 copies in this limitation is unique, containing either a lithograph by C.M. Russell or an original artwork made by a Western artist; the present copy boasts an original drawing by Irwin Shope. All copies have been signed by editor Michael Kennedy, and the pony skin used for the bindings was carefully selected so that no two hides were alike.. Signed by Author. First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine. (Inventory #: USA002)