Elmer and Charles Lange were born into a blue-collar family in Racine, Wisconsin. Both aspired to become famous artists and writers, following in the footsteps of their best friend, Theodore Czebotar. They left Racine for greener pastures, hopping trains, hitchhiking and biking across America in search of steady work and paychecks. Elmer honed his craft, far surpassing Charles in artistic ability. He continued drawing and painting until his suspicious death in 1942. Elmer's vast accumulation of art was held by his brother Leo and sister Ida until their deaths. At that point the collection took a strange journey, ultimately ending up in the hands of the author. This started his 25-year journey to unravel the mystery of these two talented brothers and bring their artwork into the light for all to enjoy.