In this accurate portrayal of the California vaqueros, Jo Mora pays tribute to the skill and bravery of the original American Cowby. Californios was first published in 1949. These Jo Mora illustrated Cowboy and Indian posters were printed in the 1930's and they have never seen the light of day! We have the only remaining editions from Jo Mora's basement, and they are in mint condition. Regulary sold at antique auctions for $400 to $800 apiece in less-than-mint condition, we are selling our mint condition prints for $600 per set, or $200 for the Indian print. Only 25 sets and 100 Indian prints remain! We also have reproductions of the Cowboy and Indian prints -- $30 each.

Before the Gold Rush of 1848-1858, Alta (Upper) California was an isolated cattle frontier--and home to a colorful group of Spanish-speaking, non-indigenous people known as Californios. Profiting from the forced labor of large numbers of local Indians, they carved out an almost feudal way of life, raising cattle along the California coast and valleys. Visitors described them as a good-looking, vibrant, improvident people. Many traces of their culture remain in California. Yet their prosperity rested entirely on undisputed ownership of large ranches. As they lost control of these in the wake of the Mexican War, they lost their high status and many were reduced to subsistence-level jobs or fell into abject poverty. Drawing on firsthand contemporary accounts, the authors chronicle the rise and fall of Californio men and women.

""Decline of the Californios" is one of those rare works that first gained fame for its pathbreaking and original nature, but which now maintains its status as a classic of California and ethnic history."--Douglas Monroy, author of "Thrown among Strangers"

Charts the social and ethnic history of Spanish-speaking California and the displacement of California's Mexican ranching elite following the Mexican War and the gold rush of 1849.

The dime novel and dude ranch, the barbecue and rodeo, the suburban ranch house and the urban cowboy—all are a direct legacy of nineteenth-century cowboy life that still enlivens American popular culture. Yet at the same time, reports of environmental destruction or economic inefficiency have motivated calls for restricted livestock grazing on public lands or even for an end to ranching altogether. In Let the Cowboy Ride, Starrs offers a detailed and comprehensive look at one of America's most enduring institutions. Richly illustrated with more than 130 photographs and maps, the book combines the authentic detail of an insider's view (Starrs spent six years working cattle on the high desert Great Basin range) with a scholar's keen eye for objective analysis.