Gauchos cross with their cattle herd the Río Aluminé - Province of Neuquén - Argentina

The Palitué Ranch - With his horse and his rebenque (a broad leather whip), the Argentine gaucho is similar to the North American cowboy. At the end of spring, he separates the calves from their mothers in order to brand, dehorn and castrate them. (Neuquén Province, Patagonia) - 1976

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

Representations of a younger, more developed culture depict meanders, either painted or carved, forming intricate overall patterns. In certain cases, they are even extremely complex labyrinths. They too are probably an expression of religious ideas, but the exact meaning of all these symbols cannot be determined. - This rock painting is located near San Martín de los Andes. - 1975

There are huge flocks of sheep in Patagonia. Not the meat but the wool is the main purpose of sheep farming. One sheep yields four to five kilos of wool. After shearing, it is pressed into bales weighing about 200 kilograms and wrapped in a cloth on which a worker writes the name of the estancia. - Estancia “Las Toscas” in the province of Santa Cruz. - 1976

An Indian woman from the province of Neuquén. She belongs to the Araucaniens, who live on both sides of the border between Argentina and Chile. The silver jewellery worn by the women of this ethnic group is remarkable. - 1973

The nguillatun is the most important festival of the Araucan Indians. This photo was taken in San Martín de los Andes (province of Neuquén), without the knowledge of the natives for whom the festival has a sacred meaning. - 1973

The cobbled main square of San Carlos de Bariloche. - Neuquén Province - 1973

El Chocón is the fourth of five dams on the Río Limay in the northwestern part of Patagonia in Argentina. The reservoir lies on the border of the provinces of Neuquén and Río Negro and is the largest hydropower plant in Patagonia. It is used to monitor and control the flow of the Río Limay to the Río Negro. The water is also used for irrigation. - 1973

62 kilometres away from San Carlos de Bariloche, on the banks of the Limay River, lies Valle Encantado, a place with a special magic. Surrounded by mountains and rock formations that, letting the imagination run wild, come to life in the eyes of the beholder. . Neuquén Province - 1973

Lake Espejo is a lake of glacial tectonic origin located in the department of Los Lagos in the province of Neuquén, Argentina. It is near the town of Villa La Angostura and is part of the Seven Lakes Road. Its name is due to the fact that its calm and clean waters reflect the landscapes of its shores like a mirror. It is fed by the melt water from the surrounding mountains through several streams that flow into it. Its shores alternate volcanic sandy beaches, reed beds and steep rocky areas. - 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

This horse-drawn cart has obviously not been used for a long time - Estancia Palitué - Neuquén Province - 1975

Separating the calves from their mothers. Tomorrow the «yerra» begins. Estancia de Palitué, Neuquén Province, Argentina. - 1975

A new galpón (shelter) is built on the Estancia La Teresa, Neuquén Province. – 1973

The red-hot branding irons are ready for marking the calves. - Estancia Santa Julia, Province Neuquén - 1976

The red-hot branding irons are ready for marking the calves. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén - 1975

The "volteadores" throw the calves to the ground and hold them under the bite of the glowing metal. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén. - 1975

The "descornador" spends a day on his knees in the dust to remove the emerging horns of the calves with a chisel and hammer. The kid leather leggings are not asking too much ... the branding is done at the same time. While the irons are red-hot in a makeshift brazier, the "volteadores" throw the calves to the ground and hold them under the bite of the red-hot metal. Young bulls that are not intended for breeding are castrated in the same operation. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén - 1975

The "descornador" spends a day on his knees in the dust, using a chisel and hammer to remove the calves' emerging horns. Young bulls that are not intended for breeding are castrated in the same operation. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén. - 1975

It took hours of patience and tireless attention to drive the young cattle into the corral of the Estancia of Palitué. - Province Neuquén. - 1975

It took hours of patience and tireless attention to drive the young cattle into the corral of the Estancia of Palitué. - Province Neuquén. - 1973

It took hours of patience and tireless attention to drive the young cattle into the corral of the Estancia of Palitué. - 1973

It took hours of patience and tireless attention to drive the young cattle into the corral of the Estancia of Palitué. - Provinzce Neuquén - 1973

It took hours of patience and tireless attention to drive the young cattle into the corral of the Estancia of Palitué. - Province Neuquén. - 1973

It takes a lot of patience and tireless attention to drive the young cattle out of the pampas into the corral of the Estancia of Palitué. - Province Neuquén - 1975

It takes a lot of patience and tireless attention to drive the young cattle out of the pampas into the corral of the Estanzia of Palitué. - Province Neuquén. - 1975

Every gaucho knows how to master the lasso, even if today's methods no longer require it. Incidentally, these traditional skills also determine the somewhat self-evident hierarchy on the estancias. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén - 1975

Every gaucho knows how to master the lasso, even if today's methods no longer require it. Incidentally, these traditional skills also determine the somewhat self-evident hierarchy on the estancias. - Estancia Palitué, Neuquén. - 1975

Every gaucho knows how to master the lasso, even if today's methods no longer require it. Incidentally, these traditional skills also determine the somewhat self-evident hierarchy on the estancias. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén. - 1975

Every gaucho knows how to master the lasso, even if today's methods no longer require it. Incidentally, these traditional skills also determine the somewhat self-evident hierarchy on the estancias. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén - 1975

Every gaucho knows how to master the lasso, even if today's methods no longer require it. Incidentally, these traditional skills also determine the somewhat self-evident hierarchy on the estancias. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén. - 1975

The 20th century gaucho has settled down and usually returns to the estancia in the evening, even if his daily work still involves adventure and danger. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén. - 1973

The boleadoras were the gaucho's first weapon with which he infallibly forced a bull to the ground within thirty yards. Although they are still part of the equipment today and maintain their place in custom, they have long since had to give way to the lasso and barbed wire and are hardly used for hunting either. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén. - 1975

If the gaucho has more than the bare necessities, he is soon the head of a large family. Far from all the comforts of civilisation, a gaucho's wife takes care of the kitchen and household and weaves the necessary fabrics herself. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén. - 1973

If the gaucho has more than the bare necessities, he is soon the head of a large family. Far from all the comforts of civilisation, the gaucho is also a naïve painter and schoolmaster at the same time. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén. - 1973

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. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén. - 1973

"The meat is what is left over when you have nothing left." In the vastness of the pampas, this Argentine proverb still holds true today. Grilled outdoors, the asado is cut right at the mouth as you eat, and the best pieces belong to the guest as a matter of course, whether they are invited or happen to be there. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén. - 1975

Luxuriously harnessed, the gaucho's horse carries on its saddle something to face the elements: knife (“facón”), “boleadoras”, hobbel straps, lasso. The spurs can be wood, leather or chiseled silver.- Estancia on the Huemul peninsula, Neuquén province. - 1975

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

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

After a hard day's work there is Asado and Mate.- Estancia La Teresa, Province Neuquén. - 1973

The famous panoramic road, the ‘Ruta de los Siete Lagos’ (Road of the Seven Lakes), in the south-west of Neuquén Province connects the two holiday resorts of Villa La Angostura and San Martín de los Andes. It winds its way through the unspoilt natural landscape of the Nahuel Huapi and Lanín National Parks. Along this route, there are many sections featuring traditional wooden fences (‘tranqueras’ or ‘cercos de varas’) that mark the boundaries of private pastures and historic estancias, whilst the mighty peaks of the Andes tower in the background. – Argentina – 1975

View from the 1,314-metre-high Paso Puyehue on the Argentine-Chilean border towards the isolated, towering peak of Pico Pantojo. - Book: Picture 197 - Argentina - 1975

Alongside the various species of southern beech (Nothofagus), the mighty araucaria trees (Araucaria imbricata) make up a significant proportion of the Southern Cordillera’s forests. The oil-rich seeds of these conifers once formed an essential part of the subsistence diet of the Pehuénche, who practised a foraging economy. Their name means ‘people of the araucaria forests’ (pehuén = the araucaria). - Book: Picture 198 - Argentina - 1975

Representations of a younger, more developed culture depict meanders, either painted or carved, forming intricate overall patterns. In certain cases, they are even extremely complex labyrinths. They too are probably an expression of religious ideas, but the exact meaning of all these symbols cannot be determined. - This rock painting is located near San Martín de los Andes. - 1975

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