▁East man ▁asked ▁to ▁be ▁assigned ▁as ▁illustr ator . ▁ ▁Finally ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 9 ▁at ▁age ▁ 4 1 , ▁he ▁had ▁the ▁chance . ▁Captain ▁East man ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁settled ▁in ▁Washington , ▁where ▁their ▁son ▁Harry ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 . ▁ ▁East man ▁began ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁what ▁would ▁be ▁hundreds ▁of ▁pictures ▁to ▁illustrate ▁the ▁massive ▁School craft ▁study , ▁published ▁in ▁six ▁volumes ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 1 – 1 8 5 7 . ▁▁ ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁monument al ▁work ▁that ▁for ▁East man ▁consum ed ▁five ▁years . ▁During ▁that ▁time , ▁he ▁completed ▁some ▁ 2 7 5 ▁pages ▁of ▁illustr ations ▁to ▁accomp any ▁School craft ' s ▁six - volume ▁Information ▁Regarding ▁the ▁History , ▁Cond itions , ▁and ▁Pro spect s ▁of ▁the ▁Indian ▁Trib es ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁When ▁Volume ▁I ▁came ▁off ▁the ▁press ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁East man ▁could ▁take ▁just ▁pride ▁in ▁his ▁accomplish ment . ▁His ▁precise ▁and ▁ex quis it ely ▁executed ▁illustr ations ▁of ▁Indian ▁life , ▁painted ▁almost ▁entirely ▁from ▁his ▁front ier ▁sketch es , ▁proved ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁singular ly ▁the ▁best - qual ified ▁person ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁to ▁undert ake ▁this ▁ep ic ▁work . ▁ ▁East man ' s ▁work , ▁which ▁comple ments ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁Hudson ▁River ▁School ▁landscape ▁pain ters ▁of ▁his ▁era , ▁illustr ates ▁how ▁images ▁of