George M. (George Melville) Baker

George Melville Baker was an American playwright, poet, and publisher active in Boston in the 19th century. Sources consistently describe him as a writer of plays and recitations for amateur performance, and as a publisher who worked with Lee & Shepard before later issuing work under his own imprint.

He wrote across several popular forms, including light drama, comic and patriotic pieces, and verse collections. Titles associated with him include The Boston Dip, Running to Waste, and collections such as Ballads of Beauty and Ballads of Bravery, which suggest the range of his work from stage entertainment to sentimental and occasional poetry.

Baker appears to have written for everyday readers and performers rather than a narrow literary circle. That practical, audience-friendly spirit is a big part of why his work remains interesting: it offers a snapshot of how Americans read, recited, and staged literature in the late 1800s.