John Ames Mitchell

John Ames Mitchell (1845–1918) was an American publisher, architect, artist, and novelist. In 1883 he co-founded Life magazine with Andrew Miller and served as its editor, a publication that later earned a place in the history of American humor and illustration. As a writer, he is best known for his satirical novel The Last American; the library holds this work along with its Esperanto translation La lasta Usonano, as well as The Pines of Lory and Drowsy, five titles in total. His fiction often uses absurd imagination and satire to comment on society and reality, showing a clear strand of fantasy and critique. He also helped found the Fresh Air Fund. Public information on the details of his life is limited.