Photo Gallery

The boleadoras were the gaucho's first weapon with which he infallibly forced an ostrich (Ñandú) or a bull to the ground within thirty meters. - 1976

The time of conquests, when new, free and uninhabited plains opened up behind every hill, is over ... - San Antonio de Areco, Province Buenos Aires - 1975

Two gauchos from the province of Córdoba try to catch a foal. They have retained some traditional garments of their status. Despite the rapid development of the country, they are and remain the living symbol of Argentina. The gaucho spends most of his existence on the horse, which is his most loyal friend. Rough, brave and strong, the man of the pampas loves freedom above all else. - 1973

Gaucho Arnaldo in the evening light at Estancia Mimosa. (Entre Ríos Province). - 1973

Sheep shearing takes place during the months of December and January, in the heart of the southern summer. The work is carried out in a galpón, a building reserved for this purpose that can be seen in all the estancias. The sheep are led to the galpón by ovejeros on horseback. Each esquilador (shearer) shears about 200 sheep a day. He uses an electric shearer set in motion by a motor which, at the same time, provides light to the property. Twice a year the esquiladores cut the wool around the sheep's eyes. The animals cannot see clearly because of the thickness of their fleece. - 1973

On the estancia “La Margarita” at Lake Viedma, in the province of Santa Cruz, the gauchos set off for the sheep pastures. On horseback, they cover great distances across the steppes of Patagonia. - 1973

Farrier Delphin Rodríguez from Bahía Bustamante (Chubut province) smiles cheerfully, which is not at all the case for all gauchos in the Pampas. Most of them are rough around the edges as a result of their adventurous lives. It often takes a lot of patience to be accepted by the men in a group. However, beneath the tough exterior lies a big heart. Their love of nature and the great outdoors has become legendary. They are completely at one with the special landscape in which they live, and their profession requires people of unusual strength. - 1973

The gaucho spends most of his life on horseback. He watches over the huge herds of sheep in Patagonia. When he rests from his long journeys across the pampas, he devotes himself to handicrafts. He makes admirable leather whips and takes special care in the manufacture of his stirrups, which are an important part of the mount. The horse of Delphin Rodríguez, the farrier in the previous photo, has stirrups decorated with beautifully crafted wooden pieces. - 1973

The estancia is a small town. It includes many different buildings. Sometimes there is even a school, which is attended by the children of the farm workers. This saves the pupils the trip to the next village, which is often dozens of kilometres away. A single teacher teaches the little ones and the big ones. Our picture was taken during the break in the school of the estancia “Palitué” (Neuquén province). Little José Luis Jimenéz, son of a peon, drinks his cup of milk. - 1973

Gauchos from the Palitué estancia (province of Neuquén) go to the corral (cattle park) where all the domestic animals on the estate are kept. They will carry out a strict selection of them. They dedicate themselves to this work whenever they are not called upon to carry out other tasks. But, in one case as in others, the gauchos always travel on horseback, which is their favourite means of transport, very rarely setting foot on land. They carry with them the accessories they need to do their work. - 1973

Cows from the Palitué estancia (province of Neuquén), which have just given birth to their young, are gathered in the corral. The gauchos will soon make their appearance in order to carry out work of the utmost importance. It is a matter of separating the heifers from their mothers, which is not without its difficulties. Then the cows are taken back by the gauchos to their respective pastures where they will eventually gain the necessary weight. To achieve this, they need to be perfectly quiet, hence the cruel necessity to take their offspring away from them. The pastures are chosen for the quality of their grass. Finally, the cows are sent by truck to the slaughterhouses and the meat is kept in the capital's refrigerators. These measures are justified by the fact that Argentines have a predominantly meat diet. But it should also be pointed out that the production and sale of meat abroad is one of the main economic activities of the Argentine nation. - 1973

The gaucho's task is both arduous and dangerous. It is the result of a long tradition which dates back to the beginning of the colonisation of the pampas. It requires skill, patience, endurance and a great deal of security of movement. These essential qualities are put to good use especially when sorting the animals inside the corral. The constant coming and going of the animals is not made to facilitate the movement of the gaucho. In addition, the dust that rises from the corral floor forms clouds in which people and animals seem to get lost. But the gaucho and his horse are one and the same, because they have been used to this kind of exercise for a long time. This agreement also exists between the different gauchos who work in an estancia. The daily task involves a lot of discipline on the part of the men. These conditions must be observed every time the animals are grouped together, taken to the pasture or sorted out. - 1973

The great rivers that run through Patagonia have their source in the Andes. The gradient is gentle, and the watercourses take their time before pouring into the Atlantic Ocean. But in the rainy season, when the storms rage in the peaks of the Cordillera, the rivers swell. Then floods threaten people, animals and crops. The inhabitants of both banks use the many fords as river crossings. The photograph shows a scene that used to be characteristic of life in the pampas, but is becoming increasingly rare today as a result of Argentina's economic development: A herd of four hundred Hereford cattle is being driven through the Río Alumine (Neuquén province) and taken to the next estancia. These transports are increasingly carried out with the help of trucks, at least where bridges allow the rapid crossing of Patagonia's rivers and streams. - 1973

From one province of Argentina to another, the gauchos dress somewhat differently. However, there are essential elements in their clothing and in the accessories they carry with them that can be found everywhere. The photo shows us, seen from behind, a gaucho from the province of Buenos Aires. Tirador or rastra are two words that designate the belt. The belt is often decorated with medals and old coins. The facón (knife), slipped into the belt, is made of chased silver. In other parts of the pampas, however, it is a common kitchen knife. - 1973

Here we are in the estancia known as Villa Maria. This large estate belongs to the province of Buenos Aires. It is the day of the remate, an important event in the life of the Argentinean pampas. The owners of the estancias sell some of their best cattle at public auction. Each participant will then be invited to a big meal. The preparation of this meal is not a simple task, due to the large number of guests who arrive at lunchtime. Meat is included in every meal, both in the country and in the city. A soup was offered to the participants. The empty plates form an impressive heap on the grass of the meadow. Beef quarters were attached to long metal stakes and placed in front of the embers of the fireplace. It is the asado, a typical dish of Argentinean cuisine, which delights tourists as much as the locals. This asado will be accompanied, as it should be, by delicious wines produced in the country. - 1973

The remate is in full swing in the Villa Maria estancia (Buenos Aires province). The event takes place inside a circular enclosure around which all the participants have gathered. The participants did not hesitate to travel several hundred kilometres to get to the remate. Most of them took a small plane to facilitate their travel. The large estates of Patagonia and the pampas are equipped with an airfield. Private planes allow fast connections between the estancias. They also make direct connections possible between the most remote estancias and the nation's capital. During the remate, the horned beasts are sold at public auction. The owners take their animals around the enclosure several times under the critical eye of the participants. The auctioneer leads the sale. He too is a great cattle connoisseur. Bulls are sold by piece or in pairs. In other cases, the owner gets rid of a whole lot of animals. Each remate is a feast, which is accompanied by a meal offered to the guests. - 1973

A gaucho from the Campo Alegre estancia approaches us. He crosses the grassy plain of the province of Salta. The lasso and the guardamontes are made of leather. These last pieces protect the rider's legs from the thorny bushes that grow in this desert region of Argentina. His red woollen poncho shows a black band that was added by the weavers as a sign of mourning at the death of the caudillo Martin Miguel de Güemes, a native of the province of Salta. The bolas are hardly used today because of the accidents they caused, but they are present in the gaucho's saddle. - 1973

The gauchos of Salta wear a flat hat reminiscent of the headgear of the Andalusians. - 1973

June 17th is a big day in the city of Salta. A popular festival celebrates the memory of an almost legendary figure, the popular leader Martin Miguel de Güemes, who died in 1821. Thousands of gauchos parade through the streets of the provincial capital. - 1973

On this chair, a gaucho has laid out his indispensable daily utensils: the chambergo (hat), the bolas, the leather lasso, the riding whip, the facón (knife), the tirador (belt), the stirrups, the bombilla and the mate. - 1973

A capataz of the estancia “La Amalia” (Entre Ríos province) with one of his children. The number of gauchos on the estates is quite large. They are placed under the orders of a supervisor, the capataz, who enjoys the confidence of the owner. - 1973

Night slowly descends on the estancia “La Mimosa” (Entre Ríos province). The moment has come to round up the cows that were separated from their calves a few months earlier. This segregation was done by the cattle farmers to ensure a quiet life for the cows on preferential pastures. The task is difficult, and many gauchos are involved. The same scenes take place on every estancia in the pampas. They show stages in a cycle of important work on which a large part of the national economy depends. - 1973

Hundreds of cattle have been brought by the gauchos from their pastures to the estancia. They are then loaded onto trucks bound for Liniers in Buenos Aires. Cows from almost all Argentine provinces can be seen at this assembly point. The herds pass in front of the experts in dense rows. You can recognise representatives of the Hereford, Shorthorn, Aberdeen Angus, Holando and Cruza breeds. An estimated 15 000 to 18 000 head of cattle are sold every day. - 1973

Folk festival of the doma at the headquarters of the Palermo agricultural cooperative (Buenos Aires). On Saturdays and Sundays, gauchos from the province and nearby areas come to produce in front of an enthusiastic crowd. The doma is a kind of rodeo. The rider wants to stay in the saddle as long as possible. The horse is blindfolded until the moment it is released. It makes every effort to throw the rider off. - 1973

Only a few of the huge single-axle vehicles that were used to conquer the expanses of the pampas little more than a century ago are still in working order today. - Near Chicligasta, Tucumán Province. - 1973

The boleadoras were the gaucho's first weapon with which he infallibly forced an ostrich (Ñandú) or a bull to the ground within thirty meters. - Estancia La Mimosa, Province Buenos Aires. - 1976

Metallic skeletons on the endless pampas, the "mills" tame the wind to pump essential water for the herds, sometimes from considerable depths. - Estancia Las Toscas, Province Santa Cruz, Patagonia - 1976

In southern Patagonia and especially on Tierra del Fuego and in southern Chile, the climate and vegetation only allow sheep farming. The flocks graze scattered over thousands of hectares of stony wasteland. They are only herded together for three occasions: Disinfection bath, shearing and slaughter. But then the ovejeros, the shepherd gauchos, are often on the move for days with their powerful dogs, keeping in touch with each other with high altitude fires and smoke signals. - Near Estancia Los Luises, Santa Cruz Province - 1973

Troperos bring a herd intended for sale across the Alumine River in the Andean foothills. - Province Neuquén. - 1973

On the estancia “La Margarita” at Lake Viedma, in the province of Santa Cruz, the gauchos set off for the sheep pastures. On horseback, they cover great distances across the steppes of Patagonia. In the background the Fitz Roy massif. - 1973