author
Oliver Bell Bunce
1828–1890
A lively 19th-century New York man of letters, he moved easily between publishing, journalism, fiction, and the stage. His career brought together patriotic history, popular storytelling, and magazine editing in a way that helped shape literary culture of his time.
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About the author
Born in New York City on February 8, 1828, Oliver Bell Bunce was an American author, editor, and playwright. He was educated at Rand's Academy and spent many years in the book trade as a bookseller and publisher before becoming widely known for his writing and editorial work.
His books included The Romance of the Revolution (1852), A Bachelor's Story (1859), Life Before Him (1860), and The Story of Happinolande and Other Legends (1889). He also wrote for the stage, and reference sources remember him as an active figure in New York's literary world whose work ranged from fiction and drama to historical compilation.
Bunce later served as editor of magazines including The Comic Monthly and Appletons' Journal. He died in New York City on May 15, 1890, leaving behind the picture of a versatile writer whose career connected publishing, periodical culture, and imaginative literature in 19th-century America.