Richard Sharpe Shaver, American author and illustrator (d. 1975)
Richard Sharpe Shaver (October 8, 1907 Berwick, Pennsylvania – November 5, 1975 Summit, Arkansas) was an American writer and artist.
He achieved notoriety in the years following World War II as the author of controversial stories that were printed in science fiction magazines (primarily Amazing Stories), in which he claimed that he had had personal experience of a sinister ancient civilization that harbored fantastic technology in caverns under the earth. The controversy stemmed from the claim by Shaver, and his editor and publisher Ray Palmer, that Shaver's writings, while presented in the guise of fiction, were fundamentally true. Shaver's stories were promoted by Ray Palmer as "The Shaver Mystery".
During the last decades of his life, Shaver devoted himself to "rock books"—stones that he believed had been created by the advanced ancient races and embedded with legible pictures and texts. He produced paintings allegedly based on the rocks' images and photographed the rock books extensively, as well as writing about them. Posthumously, Shaver has gained a reputation as an artist and his paintings and photos have been exhibited in Los Angeles, New York and elsewhere.
1907Oct, 8
Richard Sharpe Shaver
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Events on 1907
- 23May
Parliament of Finland
The unicameral Parliament of Finland gathers for its first plenary session. - 22Jun
Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway
The London Underground's Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway opens. - 7Sep
RMS Lusitania
Cunard Line's RMS Lusitania sets sail on her maiden voyage from Liverpool, England, to New York City. - 16Nov
RMS Mauretania (1906)
Cunard Line's RMS Mauretania, sister ship of RMS Lusitania, sets sail on her maiden voyage from Liverpool, England, to New York City. - 31Dec
Times Square
The first New Year's Eve celebration is held in Times Square (then known as Longacre Square) in Manhattan.