author
William James Stillman
1828–1901
A restless 19th-century talent, he moved from painting into journalism, diplomacy, photography, and art history, carrying an artist’s eye into every field he touched. His life brought him from upstate New York to Greece, Italy, and London, where he reported on war, culture, and politics with unusual range.
5 Audiobooks
On the track of Ulysses; Together with an excursion in quest of the so-called Venus of Melos Two studies in archaeology, made during a cruise among the Greek islands
by William James Stillman
Billy and Hans, My Squirrel Friends: A True History
by William James Stillman
The Autobiography of a Journalist, Volume II
by William James Stillman
The Cretan Insurrection of 1866-7-8
by William James Stillman
The Autobiography of a Journalist, Volume I
by William James Stillman
About the author
Born in Schenectady, New York, on June 1, 1828, William James Stillman built a remarkably varied career as an artist, writer, diplomat, historian, and photographer. He first trained as a painter and became an early American admirer of John Ruskin, but over time his interests widened far beyond the studio.
Stillman is especially remembered for turning that visual training into journalism. He worked as a foreign correspondent, reported from Crete and the Balkans, and was known for using photography alongside his writing. He also served in diplomatic posts and wrote on art and archaeology, making him one of those rare figures whose work connected literature, politics, and the visual arts.
He died on July 6, 1901. For readers today, Stillman remains fascinating not just because he did many things, but because he brought the same sharp, observant mind to all of them.