William Charles

Background

William Charles was born in Edinburg, Scotland in 1776.

Career

Charles's earliest etched caricatures were issued from his shop in London, in 1803 and the first half of 1804. The majority of these were aimed at Bonaparte’s threatened invasion of England. He engraved two line plates for the Edinburgh Cyclopaedia, and in July 1804, he issued a print from “Charles’s Emporium of Art and Fancy’s Produce, Edinburgh. ”

He is said to have emigrated in order to avoid the consequences of prosecution for caricaturing “one or more magistrates” of the city. The offending caricature was probably that entitled A Fallen Pillar of the Kirk which was published in 1805. Charles was in New York City from the time of his arrival in this country until 1814, practising his art without success. He illustrated The American Magazine of Wit, in New York, in 1808.

In 1814 he went to Philadelphia, continued a series of etched caricatures on the War of 1812, then in progress, and opened a print and book-shop. In addition to publishing caricature prints, he also issued a series of chap-books, illustrated by himself and by Joseph Yeager, then a young engraver. He contributed three plates to the American edition of Rees’s Cyclopcedia (Philadelphia, 1810 - 1824), but his line-engraved plate of “Quad- rapeds” was so unsatisfactory that afterward it was reengraved by George Murray. For Pinkerton’s Travels (Philadelphia, 1810 - 1812) he made two illustrations in line.

His first considerable work in Philadelphia was an edition of The Tour of Doctor Syntax in Search of the Picturesque with the Rowlandson aquatints rather crudely copied. He also issued an edition of The Vicar of Wakefield, copying the Rowlandson plates.

Although Charles made a few line plates, and many aquatints, he was especially fond of the etching needle, and all his caricatures and chap-book illustrations were made by that means. His work, when found colored, usually displays the same crudity as that exhibited by his drawing.

Achievements

• William Charles was best remembered for his caricature work. The most notable among them were his political cartoons satirizing events of the War of 1812 such as "John Bull making a new Batch of Ships to send to the Lakes" and "Johnny Bull and the Alexandrians". Charles also published adult fiction and children’s books, some of them included his own engravings.

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• “The most noteworthy caricatures of the War of 1812 were prints by William Charles. . His caricatures were typical of the Rowlandson-Gillray period whilst not remarkable they have a rough humor which no doubt made them popular. ” - Frank Weitenkampf

Connections

William Charles was married to Mary Charles. After William's death, she continued his business for several years and then opened a boarding-house.

Spouse:

Mary Charles