His father, also named William Herman, died while Rulofson was still an infant, and his mother, Priscilla Amelia Howard, was the granddaughter of Hannah Lightfoot, who was alleged to have been the first wife of King George III.

[1]: 291–93 In Sonora, Rulofson established the first permanent photograph gallery in the state[2] and plied his trade with a traveling daguerreotype wagon with partner John B. Cameron, taking portraits of miners.

[1]: 293  The mobile nature of his studio proved to be very useful, for at one time, the city of Sonora was destroyed by fire, but he and Cameron simply yoked a team of oxen to pull it to safety.

In addition to being technically proficient, Rulofson had a knack for business, growing the studio with plenty of advertising, as well as supplying prints to newspapers in exchange for bylines.

He even testified on Muybridge's behalf when the latter was on trial for the murder of his wife's lover (he was acquitted, the act having been ruled as justifiable homicide).

[4] On one occasion, when taking official photographs of the fortress Alcatraz Island for the Department of War, he was arrested as a Confederate spy but was released.

Written by Ambrose Bierce with Rulofson's son-in-law [mThomas A. Harcourt and released under the pseudonym "William Herman", the book describes the "intolerable nastiness" of the waltz.

A man engaged in the dance is described: "his eyes, gleaming with a fierce intolerable lust, gloat satyr-like over [his partner].

After Amelia's death in 1867, Rulofson married Mary Jane Morgan, who was 18 years younger than him and who had been working as a secretary in the photography studio.