John Martin Crawford

Background

John Martin Crawford, the son of John S. and Clarissa Crawford, was born on October 18, 1845, in Herrick, Pennsylvania, United States.

Education

John attended public school, and at the age of twenty- two, after teaching school for four years, entered Lafayette College. Completing his course in Lafayette College in 1871, he soon went to Cincinnati, where for eight years he taught Latin and mathematics. In the meantime, he studied at three different medical schools in Cincinnati. He received a diploma from each school.

Career

Crawford taught and served as registrar at the Pulte Medical College, during the years 1881-1889. In 1884 he is reported to have been at work on a dictionary of medical and scientific terms, and in 1887 he completed the first English translation of the ancient Finnish epic, Kalevala. He had become acquainted with the poem while a student in Lafayette College, because of the admiration in which it was held by one of his teachers.

As teacher of Latin and as student and teacher of medicine, he diverted himself by turning this poem into English verse metrically imitative of the original. It was a vast undertaking; the poem contains more than 150, 000 words, and the translation of it obviously required a faithful study of history and prosody as well as of language. For all that, the translator was not sated. He long anticipated revising the entire work, and as late as 1904 he was busily engaged with a translation of the Esthonian epic, Kalevipoeg.

From 1889 to 1894 he was United States consul- general in Russia. Here he added to his official responsibilities the somewhat kindred responsibility of negotiating between the Russian government and the administration of the World’s Fair in Chicago. In connection with this work, he translated into English, in urgent haste, he complained, the encyclopedic and voluminous Industries of Russia (1893).

Returning home to Cincinnati, he successfully engaged in merchandising, manufacturing, and banking, but affairs were never so pressing as to obliterate the interest in European affairs which he had acquired during his term as consul. He read much, and lectured from time to time on subjects having to do with Finland and Russia.

Achievements

• John Martin Crawford became well known for his translation of the Finnish epic Kalevala into English (1887). His another important work was the five-volume series "Industries of Russia" published 1893 for World's Columbian Exposition.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The Industries of Russia, Volumes 1-2

    ( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)

  • The Industries of Russia. Siberia and the Great Siberian Railway, Vol. V

    ( About the Book Russia (Russian Federation) was founded ...)

  • The Kalevala: The Epic Poem Of Finland

    (The Kalevala is the national saga of Finland. Pieced toge...)

  • The Industries of Russia, Vol. 4: Mining and Metallurgy; With a Set of Mining Maps (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from The Industries of Russia, Vol. 4: Mining and...)

Connections

Crawford was married twice, in 1873 to Nellie Baldwin, and in 1888 to Cora Hayward.

Father:

John S. Crawford

Mother:

Clarissa Crawford

Spouse:

Nellie Baldwin

Spouse:

Cora Hayward

References

• Record Of The Men Of Lafayette: Brief Biographical Sketches Of The Alumni Of Lafayette College From Its Organization To The Present Time ... To Which Is Added The Historical Sketches Of The College