Publisher's Synopsis
Francis Davis Millet (1848-1912) was an American academic classical painter, sculptor, and writer who died in the sinking of the Titanic on April 15th, 1912. Aged 15 he entered the Massachusetts regiment, first as a drummer boy and then a surgical assistant (helping his father, a surgeon) in the American Civil War. He later graduated from Harvard with a Master of Arts degree and worked as a reporter and editor for the Boston Courier and then as a correspondent for the Advertiser at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. After returning to Boston to paint murals at Trinity Church he entered the Royal Academy of Fine Arts at Antwerp in Belgium, distinguishing himself by winning both the silver and gold medal in consecutive years. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 he was engaged as a war correspondent by the New York Herald, the London Daily News, and the London Graphic. He was decorated by Russia and Romania for his bravery under fire and his services to the wounded. Millet became a member of the Society of American Artists in 1880 and in 1885 was elected a member of the National Academy of Design, New York and as Vice-Chairman of the Fine Arts Committee. He was a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and sat on the advisory committee of the National Gallery of Art. His career included work on a number of worlds' fairs and he was involved with the American Academy in Rome, and was travelling to New York aboard the Titanic on Academy business when he met his death. In addition to his prestigious career as an artist and contributions to journalism, Millet was a translator of Tolstoy and the author of several books including the travelogues The Danube from the Black Forest to the Black Sea (1892) and Expedition to the Philippines (1899). This collection of stories first published in 1892, which had previously appeared individually in various magazines, draws on his intimate knowledge of Europe, particularly the Latin Quarter of Paris, and in the final entry in the collection, Millet explains the inspiration for the various tales. Includes two full-page black and white illustrations.
