A book on the movement of America's frontier and a definitive work portraying western characters in costumes of their periods. Ernest Lisle Reedstrom, as both the author and the illustrator of this book has carefully researched every facet, and has embellished it with his unique style of art. Included are accounts of scalpings, weapons and Indian customs; the Mountain man's life, equipment, clothing and remote jargon are studied; the great white migration crossings of the plains are covered in detail, including what people took and they hunted for food, prairie justice, a diary on the trail and encounters with marauding Indians. California's great gold strike and the rush of the 49'ers is unfolded along with the stories of other famous miners from the Black Hills to the Klondike. There is even a step-by-step description of how the old miners panned for gold. Historic Dress of the Old West is descriptive and extensively researched with references and footnotes along with additional suggestive reading in the bibliography. A must for the collector's bookshelf, students and western history buffs -- Book jacket.