Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Bunce, Oliver Bell

BUNCE, Oliver Bell, author, b. in New York city, 8 Feb., 1828; d. there, 15 May, 1890. He was educated at Rand's academy, in New York, and was for twenty years a bookseller and publisher. His first book was "The Romance of the Revolution," a compilation of revolutionary incidents and anecdotes (New York, 1852). His other works include "A Bachelor's Story" (1859); "Life Before Him" (1860); "Bensley" (1863)—the last, two published anonymously; "Bachelor Bluff," a collection of social and literary essays (1882); "Don't," a small book on manners, of which more than 85,000 copies were sold in the United States, and there are several English editions (1884); "My House, an Ideal" (1885); and "Timias Terrystone," a novel (1885). He also wrote a romantic drama, "Marco Bozzaris," which was produced in 1849; and "Love in '76" (1856), which enjoys the distinction of being the only parlor comedy of the revolution. Mr. Bunce was connected editorially with "Appletons' Journal" during its existence, first as associate editor, and afterward as editor-in-chief, and also contributed to other periodicals.