Artemus Ward encyclopedia topics

See also Artemas Ward (disambiguation)

Charles Farrar Browne, (April 23, 1834 - March 6, 1867) was a United States humorous writer, best known under his nom de plume of Artemus Ward. At birth, his surname was "Brown", he added the "e" after he became famous.

Browne was born in Waterford, Maine. He began life as a compositor and occasional contributor to the daily and weekly journals. In 1858 he published in the Cleveland Plaindealer the first of the "Artemus Ward" series, which in a collected form achieved great popularity in both America and England. In 1860 he became editor of Vanity Fair magazine, a humorous New York weekly, which proved a failure. About the same time he began to appear as a lecturer, and by his droll and eccentric humour attracted large audiences.

"Artemus Ward" was the favorite author of US President Abraham Lincoln. Before presenting "The Emancipation Proclamation" to his Cabinet, Lincoln read to them the latest episode, "Outrage in Utiky", also known as High-Handed Outrage at Utica.

Ward is also said to have inspired Mark Twain, after Ward performed in Virginia City, Nevada. Legend has it that following Ward's stage performance, Ward, Mark Twain, and Dan De Quille were taking a drunken rooftop tour of Virginia City, until a town constable threatened to blast all three of them with a shotgun loaded with rock salt.

In 1866 Ward visited England, where he became exceedingly popular both as a lecturer and as a contributor to Punch magazine. In the spring of the following year his health gave way and he died of tuberculosis at Southampton on March 6, 1867.