English by birth, Henry Culmer became known as a painter/scientist, illustrator and educator. As his oil and watercolor painting evolved, so did his interest in botany and geology, especially rock formations. These interests are reflected in his paintings of Monument Valley; the Natural Bridges published in National Geographic; the Grand Canyon; the coast of Monterey; and mountain ranges including the Tetons and Wasatch. A painting called The Mystery of the Desert, is considered his masterpiece and was appraised at $25,000.00 at its completion in 1906.

Culmer is regarded as the first professional painter to penetrate the interior of the Alaska, which he did early in his career while commissioned by the...