Eadweard James Muybridge was born in Kingston-on-Thames, England, April 9, 1830. His original name was Edward James Muggeridge. He emigrated to the United States about 1852 and in 1955 owned a book store in San Francisco which specialized in illustrated books. He worked as a photographer for the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey engaged in photographic survey work on the Pacific Coast. This work took him to Southeast Alaska where he photographed several communities and Tlingit Indians in the region. These photographs are believed to be the first photographs made in Alaska.

Muybridge was a pioneer of motion photography, receiving international recognition for his photographs of animal locomotion. The results of his experiments were published in book form in 1878 as THE HORSE IN MOTION and later an eleven volume work containing 100,000 photographs on ANIMAL LOCOMOTION... was published in 1887.

Muybridge was married in 1872 in San Francisco to Mrs. Flora Stone and had one son: Florido H. Muybridge. He died in England, May 8, 1904, and was cremated. [Additional information in MS 27, Historical Collection Biography File.]