He and his artist brother, Arthur Cassie Best, were musicians with Harry playing the violin and Arthur the clarinet.  In 1887, Harry was first inspired to paint when traveling with their band he saw Mt. Hood in Oregon, and for several years, he observed the changing seasons and landscape of that mountain.

Moving with his brother to San Francisco when their band broke up, he studied with artist Alfred Rodriquez.  In 1891, he began submitting cartoons to the San Francisco newspapers, having been encouraged by cartoonist Homer Davenport whom he met in Silverton, Oregon.  For five years Best then worked as a cartoonist.

For his brother Best Art School run by his brother, Harry Best organized the basic sketch class.  In 1900, he "discovered" Yosemite where he built a studio-home at the foot of Bridaiveil Fall.  At that location, he was married to Anne Rippey, and they built the Best Studio, which also was a concession business.  He lived there the remainder of his life except from 1910, he spent the coldest winter months  in Arizona.  He also traveled to Paris and Italy, and in 1916 and 1920, to Hawaii.

One of his collectors was Theodore Roosevelt, who hung Best's painting of Mount Shasta in the White House.

Best's daughter married western landscape photographer Ansel Adams, and the Best Studio later became the Ansel Adams Gallery.

He died in 1936 in San Francisco.

Sources:
Edan Hughes, Artists in California
Peggy and Harold Samuels, Encyclopedia of Artists of the American West

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