Jane Hilton
Pate Meinzer
There is definitely a romanticism that is associated with the gunslinging cowboy, defending his land and his moral code. These displays of heroism have been reinforced in novels such as Owen Wister’s The Virginian (1902), and films such as John Ford’sStagecoach (1939), with the iconic John Wayne. American culture has been defined by the west, and the ‘American Dream’ evolved from it. The pioneering days of the gold rush and the evolution of towns such as Las Vegas illustrate the mantra of the people; anything is possible in America.
Dead Eagle Trail is a culmination of numerous road trips Jane Hilton has taken across the States whilst documenting the American culture. This book is a celebration of the west, from the buckaroos of Nevada to the cowpunchers of Arizona. Cowboys are photographed in their own homes, surrounded by western artifacts. The need to hold onto their heritage is clearly visible. As the price of petrol and animal feed rises, the ranches struggle to survive and the cowboy of the twenty-first century could become extinct.
