Where I Learned the Diamond Hitch - The Old Hoover Ranch on the South Fork of the Judith 1917

Charles Russell, the celebrated cowboy artist, made this pen and ink drawing to illustrate the daily life of ranchers in Montana. Note the rough-hewn logs of the ranch house. These logs, harvested directly from the surrounding landscape, would have been stripped of their bark using axes and drawknives, then notched to fit snugly together, a testament to both the settlers' skills and the unforgiving environment. This image reflects the intense physical labor needed to transform raw materials into functional spaces. The packed horses in the image would carry many supplies needed for the ranch, illustrating ranching as a method of both labor and transportation. The diamond hitch knot, referenced in the title, would have been used to secure heavy loads onto pack animals, demonstrating the ingenuity and resourcefulness required for survival. Russell's work, while often romanticizing the West, also hints at the realities of labor, politics, and consumption that underpinned this era. By focusing on these materials, making processes, and social contexts, we can better appreciate the full meaning of Russell's art.