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Description
Chronicles of the Big Bend: A Photographic Memoir of Life on the BorderAs a young teamster on a pack mule train, Wilfred Dudley Smithers saw the Rio Grande's Big Bend for the first time in 1916, and it captured his imagination forever. For decades thereafter he returned to Texas' last great frontier the great bend of the Rio Grande on the Texas Mexico border chronicling the region and its people in words and photographs. After half a century of photography, Smithers' superlative collection of nine thousand images ended
As a young teamster on a pack-mule train, Wilfred Dudley Smithers saw the Rio Grande's Big Bend for the first time in 1916, and it captured his imagination forever. For decades thereafter he returned to Texas' last great frontier-the great bend of the Rio Grande on the Texas-Mexico border-chronicling the region and its people in words and photographs. After half a century of photography, Smithers' superlative collection of nine thousand images ended up at the University of Texas at Austin, and in 1976 more than one hundred of these were reproduced in Chronicles of the Big Bend, a critically acclaimed work that until now has long been out of print. The years that Smithers chronicled in the Big Bend were sometimes violent ones. Pancho Villa and Chico Cano were among the many "bandits" playing hide-and-seek with the U.S. Cavalry-events Smithers recorded. He was also an eyewitness to liquor-running and smuggling during Prohibition. His principal subjects, however, were the people of the Big Bend: local ranchers, Mexican American and American families, miners, Texas Rangers, and others living simple lives in this harsh and beautiful land. With words and camera Smithers wanted to capture "vanishing lifestyles, primitive cultures, old faces, and odd, unconventional professions. Before my camera I wanted huts, vendors, natural majesties, clothing, tools, children, old people, the ways of the border." He also told his own life story along with that of the Big Bend. There are illustrated chapters on the military, law enforcement, curanderos (healers), liquor smugglers, avisadores (secret-message senders), and the national park. Smithers' word sketches and black-and- white photographs capture the harsh reality and stark beauty, the dust and the mystery of the frontier era of the Big Bend that ended in 1944 when it became a national park. Chronicles of the Big Bend is a rare documentary look at a frontier region as it was known by only a few and as it will never be seen again. It is a deeply personal human portrait of the majestic Big Bend. WILFRED DUDLEY SMITHERS (1895-1981) was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, in 1895. He began taking photographs at age fifteen while living in San Antonio, and later worked as a teamster, joined the U.S. Army, operated a photo studio, served as a news correspondent, and helped pioneer aerial photography.Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Texas State Historical Assn
Published: 03/15/2013
ISBN: 9780876112618
Pages: 160
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 9.80h x 7.00w x 0.40d
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★★★★★ 5
Super tough
Color: Red Warthog
My dogs love these toys!!!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Long lasting play toy!
Color: Multicolor
Tuffy toys in general are great and they are a pretty good deal on Amazon. They are not indestructible, and if your dogs use them as chew toys they will eventually break through. My dogs have had this Armadillo since Christmas (and they do chew on it some) and the only thing missing is an ear. They like to play tug-of-war with it a lot. This is a bigger toy, but even my forty pound dog plays with it. I would not recommend this toy for dogs smaller than Border Collie size. You can make these Tuffy toys last longer if you don't allow your dogs to chew them--when your dogs starts chewing on non-chew toys trade them for a chew toy and when you catch your dog chewing on a chew-approved toy reward them for chewing. Eventually your dog will catch on and realize that if they want to chew there are certain toys that are allowed for that. In addition to being a great play toy this is a pretty cute toy too!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2015
★★★★★ 1
Not Tuff
Color: Black Yellow Phrog, Color: Black Yellow Phrog
Absolutely terrible and not “tuff” at all. My chocolate lab had this thing destroyed in less than two hours. I would not recommend these for the price.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2026
★★★★★ 3
Cute but Not Durable
Color: 2PK Green Leaping Phrog
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cute but Not Durable
Super cute toy—my dogs loved it right away! Unfortunately, they chewed the head off within a few hours. I ordered a second one because they were so into it, but the same thing happened again.
I won’t be ordering a third, but they still play with their two headless frogs. So while it’s not the most durable, it definitely kept them entertained!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Great toy!
Color: Blue
This is great and the dog loves it!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2026