The story of early blue jean development in the West, rare pictures of 120-year-old jeans including Levi’s and lesser-known manufacturers.

The ever-popular blue jean originated in the Old West frontier of San Francisco in the late 1800s, and here is an extensive look at the entire era of Old West denim. Gathered from collections around the world, it presents never-before-seen pictures of antique “miner’s denim” worn in the frontier communities of Nevada and California, including Levi denim that is over 120 years old.

More than a dozen other brands that helped make blue jeans what they are today include Greenebaum Brothers, Neustadter Brothers, S. R. Krouse, A. B. Elfelt & Co., Heynemann & Co., Harman Adams, W. & I. Steinhart & Co., Toklas, Brown, and others. Many of these innovative blue-jean designs have been lost in the dust of history and were inaccessible to the public until now. Over 300 color photos and illustrations chronicle examples, patent drawings, and the histories of the manufacturers.

This is invaluable information for fashion historians and collectors alike.