Full-length standing albumen CDV studio portrait of "mountain man Abe" Richie (alt. Ritchie). Empire, Nevada: N.p., late-19th century. 

Clad in a suit and extravagant hat handmade of wild animal furs and with a rifle by his side, Abe Richie looks every part the late 19th-century mountain man that he was. Indeed, Richie devoted his life to traveling the country, slaying "panthers, bears, catamounts and other varmints" along the way ("A Nimrod," p. 3). He was a popular, if novelty, figure in the communities he passed through. His whereabouts were widely reported by 1870s journalists, comparing him to the likes of Robinson Crusoe and Rip Van Winkle. Besides mountaineering, Richie made the papers as early as 1860 due to his involvement in California's Democratic Party.

By 1887, Richie's mental health had declined. He was reportedly institutionalized in Stockton, California, and his whereabouts thereafter are unknown.

An exemplary portrait of the iconic American character. 

References: "Proceedings of the Democratic County Convention." Shasta, California: Shasta Courier, 1860. "A Nimrod in Virginia." Gold Hill, Nevada: Gold Hill Daily News, 1877. "A Crazy Old Hunter." Audubon, Iowa: Audubon Republican, 1887.

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