Michael Joseph Little Cowboy, West Central St, London Photo taken in the 1960s Original silver gelatin print, signed in pencil In Little Cowboy, Michael Joseph captures childhood not as sentiment, but as serious theatre. A young boy stands square to the camera, wearing a US Marshal’s hat that is clearly too big for him — its brim dipping low, its fringe brushing the line between play and performance. His expression is calm, unsmiling, and utterly self-possessed. There is no attempt to charm. No instruction to grin. Joseph allows the child to remain exactly as he is. The photograph sits at a fascinating crossroads: costume and identity, innocence and aspiration, fantasy and the hard edges of post-war London streets. What might be playful dress-up becomes something more ambiguous — a moment where childhood briefly rehearses adulthood, authority, and belonging. Joseph’s restraint is key. The neutral background, shallow tonal palette and centred framing keep the focus unwavering. Texture is everything: the felt of the hat, the delicate fringe, the smooth planes of the boy’s face. The result is an image that lingers not because it explains itself, but because it refuses to. Like the passage of time on a human face, the surface of the print bears gentle signs of its age — subtle undulations and soft creases accrued over more than sixty years — not flaws, but the quiet evidence of a life lived. This work belongs firmly within Joseph’s humanist tradition — attentive, uncondescending, and deeply respectful of its subject, no matter how young. It stands alongside his social scenes and portraits as further evidence of a photographer instinctively drawn to people at moments of becoming. A rare and affecting image of childhood observed, not directed. Mounted and framed (36 cm high × 28.5 cm wide) Signed by the artist The print will be packed with archival care and genuine devotion, ensuring this singular historical photograph is passed on with the seriousness it deserves. #MichaelJoseph #LittleCowboy #1960sLondon #VintagePhotography #ChildhoodInFocus #HumanistPhotography #StreetPortrait #SilverGelatinPrint #PostWarBritain #InnocenceAndIdentity #UnposedPortrait #PhotographicHistory #CollectorsPhotography #QuietMoments #LondonStreets #TimelessImage #ArtOfObservation