John C Lewis' Self-Published Autobiography

This book was part of a nondescript pile of books unceremoniously donated to a charity book sale. I picked it up for the dollar they asked for hardcovers and was pleased and surprised to find inside a typescript letter expressing Christmas wishes from the author of the thin tome, in 1990, to an unnamed friend.

I have spent a few relatively fruitless hours searching for Mr. John C. Lewis. His autobiography, published when he was 50, is very short though it does show he enjoyed life and has some very nice black and white photos, most of children. Mr. Lewis was apparently a photographer of some notice. Born near St. Louis in 1900 he seems to have lived and worked in New York City.

I would be very interested to hear from anyone who might have known Mr. Lewis, who can fill in the 40 years between the book and the letter.