author
I. B. (Ian Bernard) Stoughton Holborn
1872–1935
An art lecturer, archaeologist, and storyteller, he brought big cultural ideas to general audiences and also wrote historical fiction. He is remembered not only for his books and lectures, but also for surviving the Lusitania disaster and helping rescue a child.
1 Audiobook
The Child of the Moat: A Story for Girls. 1557 A.D.
by I. B. (Ian Bernard) Stoughton Holborn
About the author
Born in 1872, he was better known as Ian Holbourn, though his books also appeared under I. B. Stoughton Holborn. He worked as a lecturer and writer, with strong interests in art, archaeology, and architecture, and he taught or lectured in connection with Oxford and other extension programs that aimed to make learning more widely available.
His nonfiction includes An Introduction to the Architectures of European Religions and The Need for Art in Life, which show his gift for explaining culture and visual history in an accessible way. He also wrote fiction, including the historical novel The Child of the Moat, showing a range that moved from serious public lectures to imaginative storytelling.
Holbourn died in 1935. Many readers also know his name because he was aboard the RMS Lusitania when it was sunk in 1915; accounts of the disaster credit him with helping save a young girl, Avis Dolphin, an episode that became a lasting part of his public story.