Born in West Virginia in 1856, young Edward graduated from engineering school at M.I.T. in 1876. By the early 1880s he and brother William were working with their father in Boston at A. C. Partridge & Sons.

By 1884, Edward and William had moved to Portland, where they established their own studio. In September of that year they exhibited a series of photos made at night by electric light.

Both Edward and William traveled to Alaska and brought back photos -- William in 1886 and Edward in 1887. When William moved back to Boston in 1887, Edward took over the Portland studio, though he then sold it near the end of 1888 to move to San Francisco, where he worked with the third brother, Sam, learning Sam's photo supply business.

Once he had learned enough, Edward returned to Portland to open "the only house north of San Francisco dealing exclusively in photographic supplies".

Being in the supply business, the Partridges were on the leading edge of photographic technology. Additionally, they had great talent as artists. Thomas Robinson writes, they "produced some of the most descriptive photography done in 19th century Oregon. The series 'speaks' the visual language of modern photography."

Unfortunately, Edward contracted Brights disease (kidney failure) and returned to San Francisco for treatment in 1890. Unable to marry as he had planned, he died in June of 1891.