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John Quinn was born in Tiffin in 1871. After a disappointing career in New York's Tammany Hall politics, he earned two law degrees and opened a practice in New York City. He worked with some of the most famous figures of the early 20th century, including writers like T. S. Eliot, artists like Pablo Picasso, and even got involved in the Irish Revolution with the Easter Rising leader, Roger Casement. He collected over 2,000 rare books and manuscripts from writers like James Joyce, Joseph Conrad, and Matthew Arnold. He was also a collector of modern art, and at the time of his death in 1924, he had the largest collection of modern art in the world. Quinn's legacy is widely recognized in the fields of modern art, rare manuscripts, and publishing history. Join Dr. Barry Devine to learn how Quinn went from his father's Tiffin bakery to become one of the most influential, yet invisible, figures of the 20th century.
Dr. Barry Devine is an Assistant Professor of English at Heidelberg University. His areas of specialty include Irish literature, literary modernism, and early 20th century publishing.