William McLennan was born in Vancouver in 1948. He received a degree in design and merchandizing from Vancouver City College. Since 1975 he has been employed at the Museum of Anthropology doing graphics design work. He has researched Northwest Coast painted design and has developed innovative techniques to reveal obscured designs on Northwest Coast boxes and houseplanks. He has also employed Northwest Coast artists to work on drawing and painting old designs on boxes and houseplanks. In 1984 he received a Canada Council Explorations Grant to produce mylar tracings and original artwork from houseboards held by the Museum of Anthropology. After the photographs and drawings were produced, replica houseboards were commissioned by the Canadian Museum of Civilization.