Bird Head, Sioux, three quarter length portrait

Adolph F. Muhr immigrated to the United States in 1857 and settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Muhr was a self-taught photographer who began his career as a portrait photographer in the late 1860s. In 1872, Muhr moved to Chicago and opened his own photographic studio, specialising in architectural and landscape photography. He quickly gained a reputation for the quality of his work and was commissioned to photograph many of the city's most prominent buildings and landmarks. Muhr's photographs were highly detailed and technically precise, capturing the intricate details of buildings and landscapes with a clarity that was rare for the time. He was also known for his innovative use of light and shadow, which gave his photographs a dramatic and atmospheric quality. Muhr's work was widely published in books and magazines, and he received numerous awards and honours throughout his career. He died in 1911, leaving a legacy as one of the most important American photographers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.