author

Edwin Coolidge Kimball

A late-19th-century traveler and writer from Haverhill, Massachusetts, he is known for a vivid account of journeys through Scandinavia. His surviving record is slim, which gives his work an extra sense of discovery for modern readers.

1 Audiobook

Midnight Sunbeams; or, Bits of Travel Through the Land of the Norseman

Midnight Sunbeams; or, Bits of Travel Through the Land of the Norseman

by Edwin Coolidge Kimball

About the author

Edwin Coolidge Kimball is best known as the author of Midnight Sunbeams; or, Bits of Travel Through the Land of the Norseman, a travel book published around 1888. The book follows a trip through Scandinavia and is remembered for its lively observations and practical advice, including tips for independent travelers.

Reliable details about his life are limited, but archival material from the Haverhill Public Library identifies him as born in 1850 to Albert and Elizabeth Kimball of Haverhill, Massachusetts. The same archive notes that in 1889 he founded Kimball’s European Tours, organizing small private parties for travel abroad, and that he spoke several languages: English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

That combination of author, guide, and experienced traveler helps explain the tone of his writing: curious, observant, and meant to be useful as well as entertaining. He died on February 3, 1944. No suitable verified portrait image was found from the sources reviewed here, so none is included.