John Ross Browne

John Ross Browne ( born February 11, 1817 in Dublin, Ireland, † December 9, 1875 in Oakland, California ) was an Irish -born American traveler, artist and writer.

Life

Browne's father was editor of an Irish nationalist newspaper and was therefore monitored by the British and sent to prison. In 1833 he was sent with his family to America in exile.

John Ross Browne hired in 1842 on a whaling ship, which was active in the Atlantic and the Pacific. In 1846 he published the book Etchings of a Whaling Cruise at Harper & Brothers, New York. This earned him recognition as an artist and writer. Herman Melville was also affected. 1849, at the time of the Gold Rush, Browne went to California and worked for the government. He then went on a trip to Europe and the Middle East, from which he in turn published his impressions in Harpers. In 1863 he returned to the American West and wrote vivid descriptions, including of Arizona. From September 1868 to July 1869 he was the successor of Anson Burlingame, U.S. ambassador to China.

John Ross Browne died on December 9, 1875 in Oakland, California. The style of his writings influenced a number of authors such as Mark Twain, Bret Harte and Dan De Quille.

Publications

• Adventures in the Apache country. Schünemann. ISBN 3-522-60080-0.