Edwin Levick came to America in 1899 from London to work as a translator of Arabic for the Guaranty Trust Company in New York City.
He soon turned his attention to photography and was supplying his photographic services to the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, and the New York Herald Tribune as well as Rudder and Motorboat Magazine. He began to write for newspapers and photograph for magazines of the day; he eventually decided to specialize in maritime photography. Within a few years, Levick's successful business had expanded having to employing seven assistants, including Morris Rosenfeld, who would later gain a reputation as a premier maritime photographer in his own right.
In 1929, Levick died at his home in New Rochelle, New York, at the peak of his career at the age of 61. The New Rochelle Standard declared he was the "best known maritime photographer in the nation.... a genuinely artistic soul." He had lived in New Rochelle for the past fifteen years and was a member of the New Rochelle Yacht Club.
