The Aztec Treasure-House
Thomas Allibone Janvier
Paperback
(Dodo Press, Jan. 2, 2009)
Thomas Allibone Janvier (1849-1913) was an American story-writer and historian who wrote under the pseudonym Ivory Black. He received a public school education, then worked in Philadelphia for newspapers from 1870-81. In 1878 he married Catharine Ann Drinker (1841-1922), an artist who was the first woman teacher at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and first teacher to Cecilia Beaux. Later in life, she accompanied her husband on his travels while writing books and translating books from the Provencale language. Many of Janvier's published works would be dedicated "To C. A. J. ". He spent several years in Colorado, and in new and old Mexico, thereby gaining inspiration and material for much of his literary work. From 1884-94, he lived in the Washington Square district of New York, which would inspire his works about old New York. In France, he became a warm friend of Mistral and was made an honorary member of the Félibrige society. Amongst his works are The Aztec Treasure-House (1890), Stories of Old New Spain (1891), In Old New York (1894) and From the South of France (1912).