Photographer, artist, rancher

Montie Ritchie’s journal of his Baffin Island trip contains detailed entries from mid-May through mid-August.

Ritchie took over 400 photographs during his three months in the arctic.  His landscape photographs often include both color and black-and-white images taken from the same perspective.

In addition to photography, Ritchie took every available opportunity to work on paintings of the arctic landscape.  Though critical of his own efforts, he pronounced himself “well pleased” with at least some of his paintings.

Despite being over 2,600 miles from the Texas Panhandle, Montie Ritchie kept up with activities on the JA Ranch through messages from ranch manager Bill Word.

The sudden onset of winter weather brought the Baffin Island adventure to a close by mid-August.  Ritchie left shortly ahead of the main group, flying out on August 14, 1950, his planned departure noted in a message to his wife, Betty.