The Modern Cowboy and an Early Photographic Process on Display at The Bryan Museum with 21st Century Cowboys

21st Century Cowboys: The Tintypes of Robb Kendrick

Media Contact:
Tony Alves, The Bryan Museum
(409) 497-4209
tony@thebryanmuseum.org

Galveston, TX – November 18, 2022 ​– ​ The Bryan Museum is proud to present a new exhibition, “21st Century Cowboys: The Tintypes of Robb Kendrick.” The exhibition will be on view at the Bryan Museum from November 13, 2022 through January 15, 2023.

Robb Kendrick has been photographing cowboys for more than 25 years. Using an early photographic process called tintype, he creates one-of-a-kind photographs of modern cowboys whose 19th century appearances underscore what hasn’t changed in the last 100+ years.

Visitors will have the chance to view 92 original metal plates, many of which come from Kendrick’s book Still, a unique collection of tintype photographs that offer a timeless view of cowboys and cowgirls from ranches across the American West, Canada, and Mexico. The photographs reveal the rich variety of people who are drawn to the cowboy life. The images showcase regional variations in dress and gear, from the “taco” rolled-brim hats of Texas cowpunchers to the braided rawhide reatas of Oregon buckaroos.

Also featured in the exhibit is an early wet plate studio camera of the kind used in tintype photography. The camera, which dates to c. 1900, was used at Maresh Studios in Terrell, TX and has been partially restored. “21st Century Cowboys” honors the resilience of modern cowhands who bring traditional ranching practices into the 21st century.