William David Zimmerman was born in 1879 in Ohio to Martin and Rebecca (Carmichael) Zimmerman. Later, the family moved to Indianapolis, where William worked as a day laborer. In about 1900, the trajectory of his life changed dramatically. Teaming up with a group of fellow photographers and salesmen, Zimmerman began what would become some twenty years of intermittent itinerancy, traveling around the United States to take pictures. His primary subjects of interest were the scenery of the American West--especially Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, and California--but he also focused his lens on his adopted homes of Indiana and, later, Michigan.

On September 25, 1904, Zimmerman married fellow Hoosier Olive Rosamond Hatton. She, too, developed a love of the itinerant life and journeyed throughout the country with her husband and friends. The group traveled by horseback, by carriage, and by train, camping out under the stars. The Zimmermans did, however, return to more luxurious surroundings in Indiana for the birth of their only child, Vera, on May 15, 1907. Vera quickly became as much a part of the traveling band as her parents, often appearing in the photographs taken by her father and his compatriots.

By 1910, the family had settled temporarily in Ironwood, Michigan, where the landscape and nearby Lake Superior shoreline enticed Zimmerman’s artistic eye. They did not remain there long, however, and pushed westward again to Los Angeles by 1920. Around this time, the Zimmermans gave up their life of wandering and put down deep roots in California. William Zimmerman went into furniture sales and auctions, and, with Olive and Vera, also made a foray into chicken ranching.

William Zimmerman died in San Diego County, California, on December 27, 1944. He was survived by Olive, who passed away in 1962, and Vera, who died in 1996.