Russell Lynes facts for kids

Russell Lynes (born Joseph Russell Lynes, Jr.) was an American art historian, photographer, author, and a managing editor for Harper's Magazine. He was known for his writings about American culture and history.

Early Life and Education

Russell Lynes was born on December 2, 1910, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He was the younger son of Adelaide Sparkman and Joseph Russell Lynes. His older brother, George Platt Lynes, became a famous photographer. Russell Lynes studied at Yale University and graduated in 1932.

A Career in Publishing and History

After college, Lynes began his career working at Harper & Brothers, a publishing company, from 1932 to 1936. He then worked as a director of publications at Vassar College in 1936 and 1937. Later, he became an assistant principal and then principal at the Shipley School in Pennsylvania, where he worked until 1944.

In 1944, Russell Lynes joined Harper's Magazine as an assistant editor. By 1947, he became the managing editor, a job he held for twenty years. He was very interested in saving historic places. He wrote important articles about protecting places like Olana State Historic Site, which was the home of artist Frederic Edwin Church in New York. He wrote about this in his book The Tastemakers and in Harper's Magazine.

Family Life

In 1934, Russell Lynes married Mildred Akin. She was also a graduate of Vassar College. Together, they had two children:

• George Platt Lynes II
• Elizabeth R. Lynes

Russell Lynes passed away on September 14, 1991, in New York City when he was 80 years old.