author
Alfred Billings Street
d. 1881
A 19th-century American poet, writer, and longtime New York State Librarian, he was known for nature-rich verse and a deep connection to New York's literary life. His career also included law, editing, and historical writing, giving his work a broad and distinctly regional character.
1 Audiobook
Forest Pictures in the Adirondacks
by Alfred Billings Street
About the author
Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, on December 18, 1811, he grew up in Monticello, studied law with his father, and began practicing as a lawyer before moving into literary and public work. He later settled in Albany, where he edited The Northern Light and built a reputation as a poet and man of letters.
He is best remembered as an American writer and poet whose work often drew on the natural world and early American life. In 1848 he became New York State Librarian, a post he held for many years, and he also wrote historical and legal works alongside his poetry.
Street died in Albany on June 2, 1881. Though not widely read today, he remains an interesting figure in 19th-century New York literary culture for the way he moved between law, public service, and creative writing.