Henry Koster

Born around 1793, Henry Koster was an English author, traveler, and planter who spent much of his short life in Brazil. He is closely associated with Pernambuco and became known for recording what he saw there in clear, practical detail.

His best-known book, Travels in Brazil (1816), drew on journeys he made through northeastern Brazil and combined travel writing with observations on local society, agriculture, and the realities of slavery. Because he wrote from firsthand experience, the book has lasted as both a travel narrative and a historical source.

Koster died in 1820, still a young man, but his writing continued to circulate in later editions and translations. No suitable confirmed portrait image was found from the pages reviewed, so a profile image is not included here.