Leland S. Curtis was an American artist, mountaineer, skier, environmentalist and Antarctic explorer. Born in Denver and raised in Seattle, Leland Curtis found his artistic voice after moving to Los Angeles in 1914, where he studied under artist and screenwriter Rob Wagner. His passion for the natural world took him from the High Sierras all the way to Antarctica, where he served as the official artist for three U.S. expeditions, including the landmark Operation Deepfreeze III, the first American mission to reach the South Pole. A devoted Sierra Club member, Curtis co-founded its Ski Mountaineers Section and served on the national board, illustrating many of the club’s publications. His work earned him dozens of medals in Southern California Shows. Curtis spent his later years in Nevada, passing away in 1989 in Carson City.