Artist's rendering of fur trappers.
Typed caption accomapnying the photograph reads: "The early fur trapper or mountain man was frequently alone in the wilderness and was his own cook, surgeon, soldier, guide, and gunsmith. Because of his isolation, the trapper usually avoided diseases such as cholera and diptheria. However, arthritis and broken bones were common and fighting with with Indians and other trappers took a toll. The trapper lived off the land and used medicinal plants learned from the Indians. His "Green River" knife was his surgical instrument. Not known for personal hygiene, fur trappers frequently deloused their clothes by spreading them over an ant hill!"
May 1981
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Photographic print : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm.
https://beckerarchives.wustl.edu/VC024-i024007
VC024-i024007
The collection is open and accessible for research.