Herman Melville was born in New York City in 1809. He had a strange career, writing novels throughout his life, starting extremely popular as an author but his name 'falling from grace' after writing Moby Dick, a book at the time which was considered a bomb. In the 20th Century after Melville's death Moby Dick was rediscovered and is now considered an American Classic, Melville chose to come and live in London later in life in this house to escape the criticisms of the American press.