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William Davenport Adams
1851–1904
A lively man of letters from Victorian England, he wrote about books and the stage with the kind of breadth that makes old literary reference works still fun to browse. Best known as a journalist and drama critic, he also compiled ambitious guides to English literature and theater.
1 Audiobook
A Book of Burlesque: Sketches of English Stage Travestie and Parody
by William Davenport Adams
About the author
William Davenport Adams was an English journalist, drama critic, and author, born in Brixton, London, on December 28, 1851, and died in Putney on July 26, 1904. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, the Glasgow Academy, and the University of Edinburgh, though poor health seems to have limited his academic progress.
He built his career in journalism and literary criticism, editing provincial newspapers before becoming known in London literary circles. Sources consistently describe him as especially respected for his knowledge of the theater, and his work ranged widely across criticism, poetry anthologies, humorous collections, and literary reference books.
His best-known titles include A Dictionary of English Literature and the large-scale A Dictionary of the Drama, an ambitious survey of plays, playwrights, players, and playhouses. He also came from a notably literary family: his father, William Henry Davenport Adams, was a prolific writer, and other close family members wrote as well.