1939 Margie Greenough Bronco Bucking Horse Rodeo Linen Postcard

Historical Context & Overview

In the golden age of American rodeo, few figures commanded the arena with the skill, athleticism, and sheer bravado of the Greenough family. This striking 1939 linen postcard captures rodeo icon Margie Greenough suspended mid-air atop "Boxer," a powerful bucking horse, in a classic display of roughstock riding. Published during the height of the women's bronc riding era, this piece serves as a vibrant visual testament to Western sports history and early 20th-century American entertainment.

The Legacy of Margie Greenough and Women's Rodeo

Hailing from Montana, the Greenough family—including Margie, her sister Alice, and brothers Turk and Heavy—became rodeo royalty throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Margie Greenough was celebrated for her fearless riding style and composure under extreme pressure. During a period when cowgirls competed alongside men in daring bronc riding contests across Madison Square Garden, Pendleton, and Calgary, Margie helped redefine female athletics on the national stage.

Riding broncs like "Boxer" required immense balance, strength, and rhythm. As captured in this dynamic image, Margie rides with her chaps emblazoned with her initials "M.G.", one arm raised high for balance as her mount kicks high above the dirt track. Images like these helped immortalize women rodeo performers before changing arena rules in the 1940s altered the structure of cowgirl competitions.

Captured by Master Photographer R. R. Doubleday

The photograph featured on this postcard was taken by Ralph R. Doubleday, widely regarded as the premier photographer of early American rodeo. Doubleday spent decades traveling the circuit, pioneering techniques to photograph bucking horses and wild bulls at the precise apex of their leaps. His ability to freeze high-stakes action in mid-air made his photographs instantly recognizable and eagerly collected by fans across the globe.

Doubleday’s work was frequently distributed directly through souvenir networks at major rodeo grounds, allowing spectators to take home vivid memories of the wild action they witnessed live in the arena.

1939 Curt Teich Linen Printing Mechanics

Produced by the legendary Curt Teich & Company of Chicago, this card features their signature "C.T. Art-Colortone" linen process. Identifiable by the production code 9A-H2616 printed on the front bottom corner, the "9A" prefix precisely dates the printing to 1939. The textured rag-content paper allowed for rich, saturated ink reproduction, giving the arena fence, blue sky, and Western attire a warm, painterly aesthetic.

Distributed by Doubleday & Co. out of Council Bluffs, Iowa, this unposted card remains a fine historical document. It connects modern Western heritage collectors to the golden era of wild bronc riding and the trail-blazing cowgirls who ruled the arena floor.