An original glossy black-and-white photograph of the American composer, shown conversing with two women on an Indian reservation. Lieurance has signed the photo to singer Mary Maggenti.

Thurlow Lieurance was a leading proponent of the early-twentieth-century Indianist movement, which sought to incorporate Native American music in modern American classical works. Although he is best remembered for his song "By the Waters of Minnetonka", he published a host of arrangements based on original Native American melodies and his orchestral music bears heavy influence of the same. Lieurance made extensive recordings of Native American performers and received grants to research their music.