Ella E. McBride

Ella Etna McBride (November 17, 1862 - September 14, 1965) was an American fine-art photographer, mountain climber, and centenarian known for her career achievements after age sixty. In addition to running her own photography studio for over thirty years, she also spent eight years running the photography studio of Edward S. Curtis.

She was a member of the Seattle Camera Club and an early mentor of Japanese-American photographer Soichi Sunami.

Ella E. McBride was born on November 17, 1862 in Albia, Iowa to Samuel B. McBride and America McIntire McBride. In 1865, the family of five traveled via the Isthmus of Panama to Oregon. In 1882, McBride graduated high school.

McBride began climbing mountains on the west coast. She began with Mount Hood and climbed more than thirty-six more major mountains over her life. She joined Mazamas, a mountaineering organization in Portland in 1896. She was the group's secretary and historian from 1896 to 1898. She met Edward S. Curtis, a photographer and Mazamas member, during a climb he led up Mount Rainier in 1897. Edgar McClure died during the descent after losing his footing; he had been gathering information to calculate Rainier's height. Curtis respected her independent mountain climbing ability and she assisted him on other climbs. The August 26, 1899 issue of Harper's Weekly reported on her trek with the Mazamas in the North Cascades up Sahale Mountain.

In 1889, after receiving her teaching certificate, McBride taught in Portland, Oregon schools. In 1894, she became the principal of the Ainsworth School, a position she held for 13 years.

McBride moved to Seattle, Washington by 1907 to work in the Curtis Studio. She managed the office and worked in the showroom and darkroom. In 1909, she operated his booth at the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition.

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