Detail from the book cover for Caleb West Master Diver written by F. Hopkinson Smith. The story was originally serialized in The Atlantic from October 1897 to March 1898, and was published in book form that April. It was the bestselling book in the United States for 1898.
F. Hopkinson Smith (1838-1915) was a popular American author and a talented artist and engineer. In the latter role, he was a frequent contractor for the federal government including, most notably, the foundation for the Statue of Liberty. Caleb West is based on Smith’s experiences in building the Race Rock Lighthouse on Long Island Sound near Fishers Island.
Smith was a close friend of the Glessners and a frequent guest in their home. In a journal entry by Frances Glessner dated Sunday, January 16, 1898, she noted “Today we sat with Mr. Smith talking - he read us advance sheets of his book Caleb West which is coming out in The Atlantic.” Caleb West is listed in her reading list for that summer.
The book cover was designed by F. Berkeley Smith (1868-1931), whose initials can be seen in the lower right corner of the image. He was the son of F. Hopkinson Smith and achieved recognition as both an illustrator and an author of tales focusing mostly on Parisian life.