Walter Henry Clarence Steele was born in Berlin, North Dakota in 1897. His initial interest in photography was sparked by his father and he later received formal training as a photographer from the Eastman and Ansco companies, two of the major camera manufacturers of that era. Steele came to San Bernardino, California in 1920, after serving in the United States military, and began working in his father's photo studio located in Urbita Springs Park (an area in San Bernardino). While there he met his future wife Beatrice Preston and the couple was married in 1923. Together they had two daughters, Eloise Coats and Evelyn Cranston. The couple operated Steele's Photo Service in San Bernardino for decades, and Walter became known as the unofficial "official photographer" of San Bernardino. He was the first official photographer of the National Orange Show, serving in that capacity for 30 years, and was also the only photographer for the San Bernardino County Sun newspaper in its early years. Walter documented the growth of San Bernardino through his photography, capturing the city as it changed and evolved over the years. Walter Steele passed away on February 5, 1985 at the age of 87. Five years later in 1992, the family closed down Steele's Photo Service. A few years after the business was closed Beatrice Steele passed away at the age of 97 on December 19, 1996.