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Saloons of the Old West
Western buffs will appreciate this unique collection of American nostalgia that celebrates the saloon and is jam-packed with fascinating facts, anecdotes, photographs, legends, and quotes.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1979
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153 people want to read
About the author
Richard Erdoes
73 books39 followersRichard Erdoes was an artist, photographer, illustrator and author. He described himself as "equal parts Austrian, Hungarian and German, as well as equal parts Catholic, Protestant and Jew..."
He was a student at the Berlin Academy of Art in 1933, when Adolf Hitler came to power. He was involved in a small underground paper where he published anti-Hitler political cartoons which attracted the attention of the Nazi regime. He fled Germany with a price on his head. Back in Vienna, he continued his training at the Kunstgewerbeschule, the University of Applied Arts, Vienna.
He also wrote and illustrated children's books and worked as a caricaturist for Tag and Stunde, anti-Nazi newspapers. After the Anschluss of Austria in 1938 he fled again, first to Paris, where he studied at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, and then London, England before journeying to the United States.
In New York City, Erdoes enjoyed a long career as a commercial artist, and was known for his highly detailed, whimsical drawings. He created illustrations for such magazines as Stage, Fortune, Pageant, Gourmet, Harper's Bazaar, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, Time, National Geographic and Life Magazine, where he met his second wife, Jean Sternbergh (d. 1995) who was an art director there. The couple married in 1951 and had three children. Erdoes also illustrated many children's books.
An assignment for Life in 1967 took Erdoes to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for the first time, and marked the beginning of the work for which he would be best known. Erdoes was fascinated by Native American culture, outraged at the conditions on the reservation and deeply moved by the Civil Rights Movement that was raging at the time.
Erdoes wrote histories, collections of Native American stories and myths, and wrote about such voices of the Native American Renaissance as Leonard and Mary Crow Dog and John Fire Lame Deer. In 1975 the family moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico where Erdoes continued to write and remained active in the movement for Native American civil rights.
His papers are preserved at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.
He was a student at the Berlin Academy of Art in 1933, when Adolf Hitler came to power. He was involved in a small underground paper where he published anti-Hitler political cartoons which attracted the attention of the Nazi regime. He fled Germany with a price on his head. Back in Vienna, he continued his training at the Kunstgewerbeschule, the University of Applied Arts, Vienna.
He also wrote and illustrated children's books and worked as a caricaturist for Tag and Stunde, anti-Nazi newspapers. After the Anschluss of Austria in 1938 he fled again, first to Paris, where he studied at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, and then London, England before journeying to the United States.
In New York City, Erdoes enjoyed a long career as a commercial artist, and was known for his highly detailed, whimsical drawings. He created illustrations for such magazines as Stage, Fortune, Pageant, Gourmet, Harper's Bazaar, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, Time, National Geographic and Life Magazine, where he met his second wife, Jean Sternbergh (d. 1995) who was an art director there. The couple married in 1951 and had three children. Erdoes also illustrated many children's books.
An assignment for Life in 1967 took Erdoes to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for the first time, and marked the beginning of the work for which he would be best known. Erdoes was fascinated by Native American culture, outraged at the conditions on the reservation and deeply moved by the Civil Rights Movement that was raging at the time.
Erdoes wrote histories, collections of Native American stories and myths, and wrote about such voices of the Native American Renaissance as Leonard and Mary Crow Dog and John Fire Lame Deer. In 1975 the family moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico where Erdoes continued to write and remained active in the movement for Native American civil rights.
His papers are preserved at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 30, 2019
A fascinating examination of the saloon in the Western United States during the 19th century. The book is actually a social history which pulls off the amazing feat of being entertaining, informative and educational without engaging in the heavy handedness and hand-wringing of other works. Richard Erdoes examines the central role that the saloon played in frontier society, both good and bad. He doesn't dig at the roots (economic and social) of why Americans loved to drink so much (see The Alcoholic Republic: An American Tradition by William J. Rorabaugh), but ,rather, focuses on a relatively short time-span (approximately fifty years) in which the saloon was often a center of business and political transactions, violence, sex trade, medical practice, religion, barbershops and entertainment - some of it very sophisticated.
Erdoes breaks the book into fifteen chapters which looks at topics such as the type of alcohol that was drank, violence, alcoholism and other social problems, the relative egalitarianism that was practiced (it varied wildly from towns to regions) and the various roles of women in the male dominated saloon world. The book concludes with the arrival of the Temperance movement (and how it was linked to the Suffrage Movement) and the demise of the 19th century saloon due to changing social,political and economic issues. The book is heavily illustrated and well researched with extensive primary sources and extensive notes.
Mr. Erdoes book is an entertaining and fascinating read; that educates without beating the reader over the head with a heavy handed politically correct moralizing. He never sugarcoats the saloon or the contribution that it made to various social ills (very clear-eyed about it's contribution to domestic violence, homicide and prostitution for example), but he also celebrates the saloon. Publishers Weekly describes the book as "...rowdy,rambunctious......a delight for Western buffs" and I couldn't agree more.
Erdoes breaks the book into fifteen chapters which looks at topics such as the type of alcohol that was drank, violence, alcoholism and other social problems, the relative egalitarianism that was practiced (it varied wildly from towns to regions) and the various roles of women in the male dominated saloon world. The book concludes with the arrival of the Temperance movement (and how it was linked to the Suffrage Movement) and the demise of the 19th century saloon due to changing social,political and economic issues. The book is heavily illustrated and well researched with extensive primary sources and extensive notes.
Mr. Erdoes book is an entertaining and fascinating read; that educates without beating the reader over the head with a heavy handed politically correct moralizing. He never sugarcoats the saloon or the contribution that it made to various social ills (very clear-eyed about it's contribution to domestic violence, homicide and prostitution for example), but he also celebrates the saloon. Publishers Weekly describes the book as "...rowdy,rambunctious......a delight for Western buffs" and I couldn't agree more.
July 3, 2008
Oh, Lord, I love this book! Even were I not writing Westerns and needing the reference material that abounds in this book, I would enjoy it. I had to make a new shelf for it, "always reading," since I look at it, so often! The author's jaunty presentation of what could easily be dry and uninteresting material is what makes this book shine, though it is undoubtedly helped along by the anecdotes, themselves, some of which are downright comical. Loads of illustrations also add to the pleasure of browsing the pages. It left me with the perfect state of mind, the one that every book should give its reader: That of wishing it had not come to an end, so soon.
March 12, 2017
This is a fabulous book on the saloons of the old west and those that populated them. I read this book for research purposes. Not only was it overflowing with information, anecdotes, and pictures, it was also written in an entertaining style. I feel that this book is truly the authority on the subject of saloons.
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June 8, 2008I ran across this book and thought, "damn! Im gonna learn me how to drink like a cowboy!" lol.
He starts with the history of drinking and drinking establishments in the 1700's for background and moves to the "old, old west" of the middle states, and on to the old west. There are many, many surprises here as to the way they were run, what went on, the codes of conduct, etc. To refuse a drink was many times a good way to get shot. I really liked the descriptions of the drinks. In the 1700's THE most popular tavern drink was called a flip, and I swear I'll have one before I die! A poker was kept in the fire at all times, cherry red. After making a mixture of beer, rum and suger, it was plunged into the drink making it foam up and giving "the puckering bitterness and tangy, scorched taste so beloved by the Founding Fathers." It is well know that the American Revolution was largely thought out and planned in taverns. I would love to taste the crazy drink they were busy getting smashed on while they schemed to make their world a better place!
The descriptions of the booze in the old west is another story. Kegs of whiskey would be cut all to hell and had things like prussic acid and other poisonous nastiness added to give 'em a "kick". He goes on at lengh about the different varieties and brands and its shocking as hell. I think Id just stick to the skanky beer to be had in those days.
The auther also talks about a print called "Custer's Last Fight" that was in nearly EVERY saloon. It advertised Anhauser-Bush. Part of its popularity was that it always seemed to stimulated opinionated debate, and so encouraged more reckless drinking in the heat of argument.
All around a fun and facinating book, although toward the end the chapters on the temperence movement and the end of the saloon got a little dull. However, it was interesting hearing about the insane excesses that in part motivated a legion of women to go on the rampage- in part, I don't blame them. Breweries had exploded in number and bar owners had to resort to all kinds of desperate means to keep hold of drinkers. In many citys there were dives that consisted of a wall with rubber hoses sticking out of it. for 5 cents or something like that, you could suck all the beer out you could hold in one take. It was like a freakin crackhouse for God's sake!
He starts with the history of drinking and drinking establishments in the 1700's for background and moves to the "old, old west" of the middle states, and on to the old west. There are many, many surprises here as to the way they were run, what went on, the codes of conduct, etc. To refuse a drink was many times a good way to get shot. I really liked the descriptions of the drinks. In the 1700's THE most popular tavern drink was called a flip, and I swear I'll have one before I die! A poker was kept in the fire at all times, cherry red. After making a mixture of beer, rum and suger, it was plunged into the drink making it foam up and giving "the puckering bitterness and tangy, scorched taste so beloved by the Founding Fathers." It is well know that the American Revolution was largely thought out and planned in taverns. I would love to taste the crazy drink they were busy getting smashed on while they schemed to make their world a better place!
The descriptions of the booze in the old west is another story. Kegs of whiskey would be cut all to hell and had things like prussic acid and other poisonous nastiness added to give 'em a "kick". He goes on at lengh about the different varieties and brands and its shocking as hell. I think Id just stick to the skanky beer to be had in those days.
The auther also talks about a print called "Custer's Last Fight" that was in nearly EVERY saloon. It advertised Anhauser-Bush. Part of its popularity was that it always seemed to stimulated opinionated debate, and so encouraged more reckless drinking in the heat of argument.
All around a fun and facinating book, although toward the end the chapters on the temperence movement and the end of the saloon got a little dull. However, it was interesting hearing about the insane excesses that in part motivated a legion of women to go on the rampage- in part, I don't blame them. Breweries had exploded in number and bar owners had to resort to all kinds of desperate means to keep hold of drinkers. In many citys there were dives that consisted of a wall with rubber hoses sticking out of it. for 5 cents or something like that, you could suck all the beer out you could hold in one take. It was like a freakin crackhouse for God's sake!
April 15, 2012
This book begins with the stereotypical Hollywood image of the Old West saloon, together with a still from a western movie, in which John Wayne and Marlene Dietrich look on as a barroom brawl is about to commence. Then the author quickly takes the reader back to the real west, and there follows an entertaining and informative account of the saloon as it emerged as a social institution on the 19th century frontier, flourished until the turn of the century, fell on hard times and then disappeared with the arrival of Prohibition.
The author covers a range of subjects in a series of 15 chapters, each devoted to a topic such as the colonial origins of the drinking establishment, its first rude appearances on the prairies and in the mining camps, the furnishings of bars, the various dimensions of social life in the western saloon, what drinkers drank, bars providing sleeping accommodations, the uneasy relationship between saloons and frontier religion, gambling, entertainment, women in bars, and barroom violence.
As social history, this study of the western saloon is rich with anecdotes, amusing stories, and an appreciation for the ironies inherent in the subject. A number of historical figures have walk-ons, including Billy the Kid, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickock, and Buffalo Bill. Not to mention personages of note whose careers took them to the West: Sarah Bernhardt, Oscar Wilde, and Lola Montez.
Most interesting to this reader was the chapter on various forms of the quite literal "rotgut" consumed on the range and in the mining camps. Also of interest was the chapter on entertainment and the musical and theatrical productions, including Shakespeare and opera, that found avid audiences among saloon-goers. Maybe most informative is the author's putting together of the evolution of the saloon itself - its quick ascendance from humble beginnings to a central role in the male-dominated social life of the frontier.
Well researched, the book draws heavily on contemporary sources, including newspaper accounts, memoirs, almanacs, and songs. The book makes use of 150 well-chosen illustrations and photographs, several pages of notes, a lengthy bibliography, and an index. It's an excellent reference for the bookshelf of any Western enthusiast.
The author covers a range of subjects in a series of 15 chapters, each devoted to a topic such as the colonial origins of the drinking establishment, its first rude appearances on the prairies and in the mining camps, the furnishings of bars, the various dimensions of social life in the western saloon, what drinkers drank, bars providing sleeping accommodations, the uneasy relationship between saloons and frontier religion, gambling, entertainment, women in bars, and barroom violence.
As social history, this study of the western saloon is rich with anecdotes, amusing stories, and an appreciation for the ironies inherent in the subject. A number of historical figures have walk-ons, including Billy the Kid, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickock, and Buffalo Bill. Not to mention personages of note whose careers took them to the West: Sarah Bernhardt, Oscar Wilde, and Lola Montez.
Most interesting to this reader was the chapter on various forms of the quite literal "rotgut" consumed on the range and in the mining camps. Also of interest was the chapter on entertainment and the musical and theatrical productions, including Shakespeare and opera, that found avid audiences among saloon-goers. Maybe most informative is the author's putting together of the evolution of the saloon itself - its quick ascendance from humble beginnings to a central role in the male-dominated social life of the frontier.
Well researched, the book draws heavily on contemporary sources, including newspaper accounts, memoirs, almanacs, and songs. The book makes use of 150 well-chosen illustrations and photographs, several pages of notes, a lengthy bibliography, and an index. It's an excellent reference for the bookshelf of any Western enthusiast.
April 21, 2013
Lots of great info about saloons/taverns/watering holes and their role in America's history. The independent spirit of the USA is bound to the saloon, along with all of its colorful aspects - alcohol, gambling, hospitality and frontier justice.
If you need a good book for research, as I did, it not only has good information, but was an entertaining read.
If you need a good book for research, as I did, it not only has good information, but was an entertaining read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews