Henry W. (Henry William) Elson

Born in 1857, Henry W. Elson was an American author and historian whose published work shows a strong focus on presenting history in an accessible way. Library and catalog records identify him as Henry W. (Henry William) Elson, 1857–1935, and list a substantial body of work under his name.

Elson is best known for historical writing such as History of the United States of America, A Child's Guide to American History, and The Civil War Through the Camera. Those titles suggest the kind of writer he was: someone interested not only in broad national history, but also in bringing it to students and general readers in a lively, approachable form.

His range was wider than American history alone. He also wrote Comets, Their Origin, Nature and History, showing an interest in explaining scientific subjects for non-specialists as well. A verified portrait image was not readily available from the sources I could confirm here, so no profile image is included.