The gauchos of La Pampa (1974)
On a flight from Buenos Aires to Miami I sat neat an attractive woman. We were flying coach and during our conversation I mentioned that I had been trying to photograph the gauchos of La Pampa, (The Plains) but none of the extremely rich owners I contacted would give me permission.
“Oh, I own eleven estancias,” she said. “You can photograph them anytime you like. I’ll have on of my airplanes pick you up. Call me.” I didn’t believe her, we were flying coach! But it turned out, she did own eleven estancias. Here are some of the images I took on three estancias (ranches) in 1974.
The airplanes were used to fly the managers between the estancias
A last cup of mate before going to work.
A gaucho on horseback in the early morning, driving cattle kicking up dust.
A gaucho on horseback driving a herd of cattle on the Pampas.
A gaucho, having roped a calf and dragging it to be branded; the mother cow following.
Building and repairing fences is one of the major jobs.
A gaucho placing branding irons in a wood fire. In the back ground three gauchos branding a calf.
Better than any rodeo. A gaucho on horseback, lasso swinging, roping a cow.
In 1963, before I became a photojournalist, I worked as a cowboy on a ranch in Texas, USA, it wasn't that much different.
A gaucho kneeling on a calf branding its cheek with a hot branding iron.
Three gauchos are castrating a hog tied young bull.
Three gauchos at work: castrating a calf with a facón, a razor sharp and used for castrating as well as eating.
Gaucho and his horse.
Gauchos break for lunch an asado (barbecue).
Two gauchos break for lunch: asado and wine and a cup of mate afterwards.
Gaucho cutting the meat with his facón, (a razor sharp knife) sticking out of piece of bread.
Group of gauchos having an asado (S. American BBQ) for lunch.
A simple but good life: friendship, an asado, a bottle of wine and a cup of mate.
The breaking in of a horse.
A gaucho riding a wild horse
Gaucho Family
The salesperson would come to the estancias to try and sell children clothes etc.
Some of the gauchos liked working with sheep
Sheep shearing, extremely hard work
Hot and hard work.
Loading bales of wool.
A sheep shearer working on a mechanical razor.
Naked sheep, without their wool coat.
A sheep shearer drinks from a 10 liter wine vessel, common in Latin America.
Sheep shearers camp. In the foreground the baled wool gets weighted.
Sheep shearers camp out on the pampas. (plains)