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Asahel Curtis was born in 1874 in Minnesota[1] to Johnson Asahel Curtis (1840–1887) and Ellen Sheriff (1844–1912). The Curtis family moved to Washington state in 1888. Asahel's brother, Edward Sheriff Curtis, supported the family by opening a photography studio in Seattle, and Asahel went to work for him in 1894. In 1897, the brothers agreed that Asahel should go to the Yukon and document the Klondike Gold Rush. Asahel remained there for two years, alternately taking pictures and working a small and largely unproductive claim. Asahel launched his photography career with that two year trip to Alaska and the Klondike. In 1911, Asahel established his own studio in Seattle and employed a team of developers and colorists, including his sister Eva. He was hired by a number of local companies, organizations, and wealthy individuals to take portraits and promotional photos. He became more widely known for his images of the Washington landscape that were published nationwide. Curtis worked in his Seattle studio until his death in 1941. Sixty thousand of his images are held in trust by the Washington State Historical Society in Tacoma.

Following his retirement from the United States Air Force, Paul Curtiss devoted his effort to compiling an encyclopedia of Washington State street and urban railways.