W. G. (William Gershom) Collingwood

Born in 1854, William Gershom Collingwood was an English author, artist, and antiquary whose work brought together painting, travel, archaeology, and literature. He was educated at Liverpool College, studied at University College, Oxford, and later trained at the Slade School. His career ranged from art and teaching to historical research, and he served as Professor of Fine Arts at University College, Reading.

Collingwood is often remembered for his close association with John Ruskin, acting as Ruskin's secretary in Ruskin's later years and later writing about his life and work. But his own interests were broad and lively: he wrote on the Vikings and Norse culture, produced studies of the Lake District, and traveled in places including Iceland, where he made a large number of drawings and watercolors.

He died in 1932, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both a craftsman's eye and a historian's curiosity. He was also the father of philosopher and historian R. G. Collingwood, and his legacy still appeals to readers who enjoy the meeting point of art, place, and the past.