Edward Curtis was born in Wisconsin in 1868. As a young boy he constructed one his own camera and from then on loved photography. As a boy he often canoed with his father and these outdoor camping experiences inspired most of his later work in his career. In 1892, he married Clara Phillips and opened a portrait studio in Seattle. Curtis is most renowned 20-volume life's work, The North American Indian. Part pessay and part work of art, this piece left an undeniable mark of photographic history.