author
John Ames Mitchell
1845–1918
Best known as the co-founder and longtime editor of the original Life magazine, he brought together humor, art, and sharp social observation. He was also trained as an architect and wrote novels, giving his work an unusual mix of visual style and storytelling.
7 Audiobooks
The Last American A Fragment from the Journal of Khan-li, Prince of Dimph-yoo-chur and Admiral in the Persian Navy
by John Ames Mitchell
The Pines of Lory
by John Ames Mitchell
La lasta Usonano
by John Ames Mitchell
The Last American A Fragment from The Journal of Khan-li, Prince of Dimph-Yoo-Chur and Admiral in the Persian Navy
by John Ames Mitchell
Some Artists at the Fair
by Francis Davis Millet, W. Hamilton (William Hamilton) Gibson, Will H. (Will Hicok) Low, John Ames Mitchell, Francis Hopkinson Smith
Amos Judd
by John Ames Mitchell
Drowsy
by John Ames Mitchell
About the author
Born in New York in 1845, John Ames Mitchell became a remarkably versatile American creative figure: publisher, artist, novelist, and architect. Reliable biographical sources agree that he studied at Harvard and at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and that this broad training helped shape the polished, image-conscious style for which he later became known.
Mitchell is most closely associated with the founding of the original Life magazine in 1883. As co-founder, editor, and publisher, he helped make it a witty, illustrated magazine of society, culture, and satire, and he also contributed artwork of his own. That mix of editorial vision and artistic involvement made him an important presence in American magazine culture of the late nineteenth century.
Alongside his publishing work, he wrote fiction, including novels, and maintained interests that ranged across design and visual art. He died in 1918, leaving behind a career that was wide-ranging but still tied together by style, observation, and a clear delight in how words and images could work together.