Joseph Jacobs was a folklorist, literary critic, and historian whose work played a major role in preserving and popularizing traditional storytelling. Born on 29 August 1854 in Sydney, Colony of New South Wales, to John Jacobs, a publican from London, and Sarah Myers, he was raised in a Jewish family that strongly influenced his intellectual interests. He studied at the University of Sydney, later earning a BA from St Johns College Cambridge in 1876, and continued advanced studies at the University of Berlin, focusing on Jewish literature, philosophy, and ethnology. His academic pursuits also included anthropology, history, mathematics, and literature. Jacobs became a prominent collector and publisher of English folklore, producing influential collections such as English Fairy Tales and More English Fairy Tales, alongside works drawn from European, Jewish, Celtic, and Indian traditions. He edited major compilations including the Fables of Aesop, the Fables of Bidpai, and editions of The Thousand and One Nights. He later served as an editor for Folklore and contributed to The Jewish Encyclopedia. He died on 30 January 1916 in Yonkers, New York.
