Open Range - Heather Olive

For generations, Florida cattle and hogs ranged across vast stretches of unfenced country — roads included. The warning in this original photograph meant exactly what it said: OPEN RANGE — BEWARE OF CATTLE AND HOGS

It was a way of life that survived remarkably late in Florida. In 1949, the state passed legislation bringing the open-range era to an end, with the prohibition against livestock roaming public roads taking effect in 1950.

Drawn from an original Old Florida photograph, the heavily pixelated black image and weathered parchment ground preserve the rough character of the source — and a roadside warning from a Florida that disappeared with the fences.

A piece of Old Florida, out on the open range.