Edward Steichen photographed his father in the garden of his parents’ house in Elmhurst, Illinois. It stresses the connection his father had with his garden. In fact, every single photograph of Jean-Pierre in the collection of the MNAHA is set in a garden environment. Soon after he married Marie at the age of 19, Jean-Pierre left Luxembourg in pursuit of a better life for his family in the United States. He worked in copper mines, which soon made him very sick. His wife followed him to the U.S.A with infant Edward in 1881. When Jean-Pierre’s health further deteriorated, his wife had to support her family alone. For the rest of his life, while Marie ran a successful hatmaker business, Jean-Pierre would focus on farming and gardening.