Charles Burt

Life

He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, 8 Nov 1823(?) to Charles and Jessie (Kennedy) Burt. He showed a gift for drawing at a young age. At the age of 17 he won the student contest for best drawing of the Eddystone lighthouse, drawn from a verbal description: this work was apparently hanging in the halls of Edinburgh high school for many years. While still in Scotland, he was apprenticed to William Home Lizars. He emigrated to New York City in 1836, and went to work for Alexander L. Dick. Under his employ, Burt illustrated many books and engraved a number of portraits. Most of this work during this time is untraceable, as it was all published under Dick's name. It is widely assumed that the engraving of Leonardo's Last Supper is Burt's handiwork.

As a member of the American Art Union, Burt engraved several signed larger plates including: Sir Walter Raleigh Parting with his Wife (after Emanuel Leutze -1846); The Signing of the Death Warrant of Lady Jane Grey (after Daniel Huntington -1848); Anne Page, Slender, and Shallow (after Charles Robert Leslie -1850); Bargaining for a Horse (after William Sidney Mount -1851), and Marion Crossing the Pedee (after William Tylee Ranney -1851).

However, it was as one of the principal engravers for the US Treasury Department, that Burt is most remembered. He engraved Lincoln's portrait for the $100 bill In 1869. (This image remained on other large notes until 1928 when currency was reduced to the smaller size in use today: Lincoln's portrait remained on the $5 bill until 2000). After 1850, Burt's focus was mainly on banknote engraving, which he was to do for over thirty years on behalf of the U.S. Treasury. He also engraved plates for postage stamps for Canada, Brazil, Italy, Russia and Chile, among others.

Charles Burt was married on 3 June 1844 in Rockaway, NJ, to Margaret, daughter of Thomas Sargeant (of Parsipanny, NJ.). He lived most of his life in Brooklyn NY and died there on 25 March 1892. He was survived by his wife, one son and seven daughters.