Probably Polish according to what I've learned Googling. Quite an extraordinary guy, judging by his gift for drawing. See this picture he did of Mark Twain: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_Twain_by_Jan_Szczepanik.jpg He also reminds me of the guy whose work with looms anticipated computers. I loved a Twain remark comparing inventors with poets. No wonder this fellow interested him. Arianne Laidlaw