A photograph of John Wilbur Ripley, a successful Topeka businessman and author, standing with a collage of Shawnee County Historical Society Bulletin covers. He was the editor of the Bulletin from 1968-1989. In addition to editing the Bulletin and writing, Ripley's interests included photography, early 20th century music, and collecting lantern slides. At one point in his life, Ripley was believed to have one of the largest collection of lantern slides. During his career, he was a contributor to Business Week. In 1942, he accepted a two-week assignment as a news editor. His temporary employment lasted more than a year, until pressing business matters forced him to return to Topeka. Combining his interest in lantern slides and a flare for writing, John published several articles in American Heritage and Smithsonian.