Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

142 results found

Vesey, Denmark

(Encyclopedia)Vesey, Denmark, 1767?–1822, African-American leader. After many years as a slave he won (1800) $1,500 in a lottery and purchased his freedom. Intelligent and energetic, he acquired considerable weal...

Kuhn, Walt

(Encyclopedia)Kuhn, Walt, 1880–1949, American painter, b. New York City. At the age of 19 he worked as a cartoonist in San Francisco, contributing later to Life magazine. After travel and study in Europe he devot...

Moses, Grandma

(Encyclopedia)Moses, Grandma (Anna Mary Robertson Moses), 1860–1961, American painter, b. Washington co., N.Y., self-taught. She lived the arduous life of a farm wife, first in the Shenandoah Valley and later at ...

Auchinleck, Sir Claude John Eyre

(Encyclopedia)Auchinleck, Sir Claude John Eyre âr ôˌkĭnlĕkˈ, ôˌkhĭn– [key], 1884–1981, British field marshal. In World War II he commanded briefly (1940) at Narvik, Norway, then in building defenses in...

Richardson, Henry Handel

(Encyclopedia)Richardson, Henry Handel, pseud. of Ethel Richardson Robertson, 1870–1946, Australian novelist, b. Melbourne. Her years of study at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne, were reflected in her...

Catena, Vincenzo di Biagio

(Encyclopedia)Catena, Vincenzo di Biagio vēnchĕnˈtsō dē byäˈjō kätāˈnä [key], c.1470–1531, Venetian painter. His early work, reflecting the influence of Giovanni Bellini, includes the two paintings of...

Browere, John Henri Isaac

(Encyclopedia)Browere, John Henri Isaac brouˈər [key], 1792–1834, American sculptor, b. New York City, studied painting in New York under Archibald Robertson and sculpture in Europe. He is known for his life ma...

Zephaniah, book of the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Zephaniah zĕfˌənīˈə [key], prophetic book of the Bible. The prophet, who lived in the reign (c.640–609 b.c.) of King Josiah of Judah, traces his genealogy to King Hezekiah. Zephaniah denounces...

Franck, César Auguste

(Encyclopedia)Franck, César Auguste sāzärˈ ōgüstˈ fräNk [key], 1822–90, Belgian-French composer and organist. He studied at the conservatories of Liège and Paris, taking prizes in piano, composition, and...

Francia, José Gaspar Rodríguez

(Encyclopedia)Francia, José Gaspar Rodríguez hōsāˈ gäspärˈ rōᵺrēˈgās fränˈsyä [key], 1766–1840, dictator of Paraguay and creator of its national independence, known as El Supremo. Incorruptible a...