Rash's Surname Index
Notes for George Henry BOKER
George Henry Boker was born on October 6, 1823, the son of well-to-do Philadelphia banker Charles Boker. In 1842, he graduated from the College of New Jersey (now known as Princeton University), where he was one of the founders of the Nassau Monthly. Two years later, after marrying Washingtonian Julia Mandeville Riggs (also the child of a banker), he abandoned his plans to become a lawyer and took up writing. His first book of verse, published in 1848, was considered promising, but a blank verse tragedy set in medieval Spain and published the same year made a much bigger splash. After the play was staged successfully (although without Boker's permission) in London, a production was mounted at the Walnut Street Theatre in his home town of Philadelphia.
Although Boker is not remembered today as a major American playwright, his skillfully written historical dramas regularly drew respectable audiences in Philadelphia, New York, and abroad. His poetic output and his plays were eventually collected and published in the two-volume Plays and Poems (which was reprinted five times), but he never received the recognition he craved (or deserved) for his literary works.
Although Boker did not take up arms during the War Between the States, he served his country in other ways, both by writing patriotic poems and by founding the Union Club (eventually the Union League of Philadelphia) in November of 1862. The goals of the organization (the first of its kind in the country) were to raise money for the war effort and to encourage enlistments in the army. Boker served as its secretary until he was appointed minister to Turkey in November of 1871.
A natural-born diplomat, Boker's tact and dignity helped reestablish diplomatic relations with the Ottoman government and proved instrumental in the negotiation of several important treaties. (As an interesting sidelight, Boker also assisted archaeologists Heinrich Schliemann and Frank Calvert in their efforts to obtain from the Turkish government the permits necessary for excavations in the ancient city of Troy.)
Boker soon tired of Ottoman politics and gladly accepted a new appointment as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Russia. Despite his great success in St. Petersburg and his personal friendship with the czar, Boker was recalled when the administration in Washington changed in 1878. Philadelphia welcomed him home with open arms, bestowing on him the presidency of his beloved Union League and a seat on the Fairmont Park Commission. He remained active in the beautification of Philadelphia's city parks until his death in 1890 from heart disease.
GEORGE H. BOKER
Among the recent authors of Philadelphia, none have done finer work and attained a higher reputation for poetical ability than George Henry Boker, the subject of the present sketch. He was born in Philadelphia, October 6, 1823, the son of a wealthy banker, and was educated at Princeton, from which he graduated in 1842. He had chosen the law for his profession, and went through the requisite course of study, but never practised. His early years of manhood w'ere spent in an extended tour of Europe, from which he returned in 1847. While abroad, he had occupied himself in literary composition, and on his return be published a volume of verse entitled " The Lesson of Life, and Other Poems." His taste, however, seemed to turn most strongly towards dramatic poetry, and in i848 he published his first drama, a blank verse tragedy, entitled " Calaynos." It was founded on a theme from Spanish sources, and had marked success on the stage, being first produced in London, where it had a run of a hundred nights. It then was played in the English provincial towns, and afterwards produced in the United States, in whose leading cities it was played with marked success. In 1883 it was successfully revived by Lawrence Barrett. Mr. Boker now applied himself closely to poetical and dramatic composition, with intermittent periods of activity in political affairs. His second dramatic effort was a tragedy entitled "Anne Boleyn," based on the tragic story of that celebrated beauty. After this came two tragedies, " Leonore de Guzman" and " Francisca da Rimini;" all these works showing fine poetical powers and excellent dramatic taste and skill. Within recent years " Francisca da Rimini" has been produced with the greatest success by Lawrence Barrett, and ranks to-day among the most approved of recent high-grade dramas. In addition to the above plays, Mr. Boker wrote two comedies in verse, "The Betrothal" and "The Widow's Marriage," and one in prose, " The World a Masque." The last named held the stage for a time, but was not printed. While thus engaged in dramatic composition, Mr. Boker produced numerous poems, and in 1856 published two volumes of " Plays and Poems." Of separate poems in these volumes calling for mention may be named " The Ivory Carver," "The Podesta's Daughter," "A Ballad of Sir John Franklin," and "A Dirge for a Soldier." During the war he wrote many patriotic lyrics, which rendered the country good service by their stirring and inspiring character. These were published in 1864 as "Poems of the War." His later works included "Königsmark, and Other Poems," 1869, and "The Book of the Dead," 1882, a series of short poems on one theme. Of his poems those in the form of the sonnet are particularly noticeable, and in this special field of poetry he takes very high rank. Mr. Boker's political life was a somewhat active one. Originally a Democrat, be joined the Republican party on its formation, and remained an adherent to its principles. In November, 1862, he joined others in forming the Union Club, whose name was changed in December to "The Union League," its purpose being to spread loyal opinions and support the government during the war. He became its secretary, and as such rendered important public services. He continued in this office till 1872, when President Grant appointed him Minister to Turkey. Here he remained nearly four years, when he was given the more important mission to St. Petersburg, which he held until 1879. On his return to Philadelphia he was elected President of the Union League, and held that post till his death. His latest literary work was a volume of sonnets, published in 1886. He died July 2, 1890.
Boker, George Henry (1823-1890) — also known as George H. Boker — of Pennsylvania. Born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., October 6, 1823. Son of Charles Boker; married 1844 to Julia Mandeville Riggs. Author; poet; U.S. Minister to Turkey, 1871-75; Russia, 1875-78. Died in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., January 2, 1890. Burial location unknown. George Henry Boker, born in Philadelphia and educated at Princeton, initially trained to be an attorney but instead chose to pursue a career as a poet and playwright. His first play, entitled Calaynos: A Tragedy (1848), drew on the conflict between the Spaniards and the Moors. Not particularly successful at writing comedies, Boker concentrated his playwriting on historical tragedy written in blank verse. He is best remembered for his five-act drama Francesca da Rimini (1855), which is based on a portion of Dante’s Inferno. Following an initially mediocre reception, Francesca was revived in 1882 and again in 1901 to greater success. While Boker continued his writing, the later years of his life were spent as a diplomat, serving as a United States envoy to both Turkey and Russia.
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