Peter Maverick was born on October 22, 1780 in New York City. He was the son of Peter Rushton and Anne (Reynolds) Maverick. He was the grandson of Andrew Maverick, a painter, born in Boston in 1728/29 and admitted a freeman in New York in 1753, and a descendant of Elias, brother of Samuel Maverick.
Peter was a pupil of his father in copper-plate engraving and began to engrave at an early age. The frontispiece of the Holy Bible Abridged (New York, 1790) is signed "P. Maverick sct. ' 9 years. " For some time he was occupied in New York City but later he went to Newark, N. J. , where Asher B. Durand served an apprenticeship (1812 - 17) and then went into partnership with him. "The preference which Trumbull gave to Durand, " says Sumner "by employing him to the exclusion of Maverick, broke up the business connection. " Maverick returned to New York, where he established himself as a general engraver and copper-plate printer; he eventually added lithographic printing, as did more than one other engraver. This "general graphic business" covered "bank-notes engraved on copper or steel, with all the variety of die work and machine facilities now in use". He engraved a number of portraits in line and in stipple, notably that of Cadwallader D. Colden, after Waldo and Jewett, signed "Peter Maverick & Durand & Co. ," as well as views, historical scenes, many book illustrations after British designers, and also bookplates, cards, college commencement tickets, and similar objects. One of his lithographs was "Daughter of Charles B. Calmody, " after Lawrence (1829); among the lithographs he printed was a view of Wall Street, as rare as it is artless. Maverick was one of the founders of the National Academy of Design, which had a number of engraver members in the early days. He died in New York City. Stauffer reports that his portrait was painted by John Neagle, though it did not figure in the exhibition of portraits by Neagle held by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1925; Sumner names Jarvis as the painter of a portrait.
Peter became a skilful line engraver and worked principally for book publishers and bank note companies. He also taught the art, and among his pupils was Asher B. Durand, who became his partner in 1817. He was one of the founders of the National Academy of Design in 1826, and remained an Academician during his life. He reproduced in line the portrait of Henry Clay, painted by Charles King in 1822; a portrait of General Jackson, from the painting by Samuel L. Waldo, and portraits of other notable public men.
Maverick's son Peter, Jr. , is listed in the New York directories (1832 - 45) as "engraver and lithographer, " which appears to be all that is known of him. Augustus, the son of his second wife, Matilda Brown, whom he married in 1828, became an assistant editor on the staff of the New York Times. His brothers Samuel and Andrew were engravers and plate-makers; his daughters Maria and Emily are likewise said to have engraved.
Peter Maverick was married to Mary Griffin Maverick.
