Pony Pictures

It is very likely that someone in your family has a photo like one of the following. The Internet is full of similarly staged pictures of children on ponies. These pony photos of my half-sister and me are from the summer of 1949.

Between the 1920s and mid-1950s, it was common to find a passer-by with a pony, camera, and a few props (e.g., cowboy hat, toy six shooters, chaps) offering families photo opportunities of their children in the saddle for a small fee. It was an opportunity for families to gain a keep-sake photograph and cash for the photographer.