Charles Gilbert Hine was an accomplished insurance publisher, editor, local historian and amateur photographer. Born in 1859 in New Albany, Indiana, he moved with his family to the New York area in 1868 where Hine's father, Charles Cole Hine, became owner and editor of the Insurance Monitor. Hine spent most of his youth living in Woodside, New Jersey, a rural suburb of Newark.

Hine pursued his interest in local history throughout the rest of his life. He traveled primarily by foot and bicycle, taking photographs and collecting historical anecdotes. He focused his work on New York and New Jersey, especially along the Hudson River and on Staten Island where he lived for six years. He published much of his historical work and accompanying photography in a limited edition series under the title Hine's Annuals between 1905 and 1915. He published historical books and pamphlets separately as well; his dated works span the years from 1883 to 1928. Like other Pictorialist photographers of his era, Charles Gilbert Hine favored the platinum print, known for its delicate gradation of grays and its varied tonal scale. His accompanying writings are opinionated and express a deep appreciation for the natural landscape and historical architecture portrayed in his photographs. Hine made particular efforts to photograph buildings that were threatened with demolition. He took a special interest in historic thoroughfares; among his published writings were histories of Broadway, the Albany Post Road, Old King's Highway, and the Serpentine Road on Staten Island.