Ray Fisher (b.1924) was born in Cleveland, Ohio but spent most of his childhood in New York City. Through his father, a photo-finisher, he learned about photography and began to take pictures while in high school. When his father died in 1940 he moved with his mother to Miami and in 1945, joined the army. As a combat photographer he was stationed in Verdun, France. 

Upon returning to Miami after the war he enrolled at the University of Miami and began working for the Miami Herald as a staff photographer. He rose to the position of chief photographer and picture editor and photographed many of the significant personalities and events of the era. 

Throughout his career, Fisher has received numerous awards including: The Outstanding Graduate School of Communications Award at the University of Miami (1983), The New York Art Directors Club (1982), Wilson Hicks Visual Communications Award (1974), Modern Photography Award (1959), among others. His archive was recently acquired by the HistoryMiami Museum (2016).