author
Samuel Phillips
1814–1854
A lively 19th-century journalist and novelist, he wrote literary criticism for The Times and helped shape the public story of the Crystal Palace. His career was brief, but it ranged from fiction and essays to newspaper editing and cultural commentary.
1 Audiobook
The Palace and Park Its Natural History, and Its Portrait Gallery, Together with a Description of the Pompeian Court
by Samuel Phillips, Edward Forbes, R. G. (Robert Gordon) Latham, Richard Owen, George Scharf, F. K. J. (Francis Kingston John) Shenton
About the author
Born in London on December 28, 1814, he was educated at University College London and at Göttingen. He later entered Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, intending to prepare for the Church, but after his father's death he had to leave and turn to literary work instead.
He became known as a journalist, novelist, and critic. He wrote for the Morning Herald, joined The Times around 1845 as a literary critic, and for a period also owned and edited John Bull. His books included the novel Caleb Stukely and two collections of essays drawn from his writing for The Times.
He also played an active part in promoting the Crystal Palace, writing descriptive guides connected with the project. In 1852 Göttingen awarded him an honorary LL.D. He died in Brighton on October 14, 1854, still only thirty-nine.