author
Louis A. (Louis Arthur) Holman
1866–1939
A Canadian-born illustrator, writer, and print expert, he helped shape Boston's world of books and prints in the early 20th century. His work ranges from art and etching to old maps, reflecting a lifelong love of images, history, and craftsmanship.
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About the author
Born on Prince Edward Island in 1866, Louis A. Holman built a career that crossed several worlds at once: illustration, writing, bookselling, and the study of prints. After moving to Boston, he became known as an illustrator and art editor, and he later developed a strong reputation as a print dealer and specialist.
Holman worked with Goodspeed's Book Shop and went on to run Holman's Print Shop in Boston. Archival records from the Smithsonian describe extensive papers connected to his business and his expertise in prints, while other historical sources note his interest in artists, etching, and the history of visual culture.
He also wrote books that matched those interests, including works on old maps, Rembrandt, Albrecht Dürer, and other artists and printmakers. That mix of scholarship and practical knowledge gives his writing a distinctive feel: informed by research, but grounded in the eye of someone who spent years handling books, images, and works on paper. He died in 1939.