rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I ran across this research paper a while ago. Pretty extensive and interesting history in it concerning early bonsai in the U.S. and Europe--think 1850s....
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.543.8959&rep=rep1&type=pdf
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.543.8959&rep=rep1&type=pdf