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Pony Express Rider painting

National Postal Museum

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Object Details

Artist
Lloyd Branson, 1853 - 1925
Description
This oil painting attributed to Lloyd Branson (1853-1925) depicts a Pony Express mail carrier on horseback. Pony Express riders can be identified by the special saddlebags--mochilas--that riders used and were designed to fit over a saddle. The bag could only hold letters, telegram messages, and slips of newspaper reports. There was no room for newspapers or larger packets.
Branson was born in Union County, Tennessee, and spent most of his life in the Knoxville area. In 1873 he attended the National Academy of Design in New York City, followed by a period of study in Europe. In 1885 he won a medal at the Cotton States Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, and in 1910 he won a gold medal at Knoxville's Appalachian Exposition. Branson often painted historical subjects or regional landscapes.
1904
Object number
0.052985.346
Type
Art
Medium
canvas; oil
Dimensions
Height x Width x Depth (Canvas): 62 1/4 x 93 x 1 1/2 in. (158.12 x 236.22 x 3.81 cm) Height x Width x Depth (Crate): 78 x 107 x 20 in. (198.12 x 271.78 x 50.8 cm)
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
National Postal Museum
Topic
Civil War and Reconstruction (1860-1877)
Art & Photography
Post Office Structures
Record ID
npm_0.052985.346
Metadata Usage (text)
Not determined
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8c99a68f7-985e-4fda-88b0-a917f346166b
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
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IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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