Charles Arthur Fries was born in Hillsboro, Ohio. At age 15, he attended the McMiccan Art Academy while also apprenticed to a photographer in Cincinnati. At this time, he also studied portraiture in the studio of Charles Weber.

After his studies, Fries established his own studio in Cincinnati. While working in his studio, Fries frequently traveled to the Southwest in pursuit of new subject matter for his sketches. The lithographs produced from his sketches of the West often appeared in Harper's, Leslie's and Century magazines.

After his marriage in 1887, he moved his studio to New York City and gained popularity as an illustrator and portraitist.

In 1896, Fries and his family moved west, settling in San Diego.

During his career, Fries achieved great success as an accomplished lithographer and painter of atmospheric desert landscapes.