Charles A Brooks was born in Washington, DC, United States,
on 26 April 1905. He was the son of an
engraver and soon found himself working as an engraver as well. He was only fifteen years old when he became an apprentice at E A Wright Co in philadelphia. After five years, Brooks becacme a freelance engraver, and in 1938 he joined the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing (BEP), where he would remain (except for a year-long stint at
the Security Bank Note Company in 1947/8) until his retirement in 1966.
During his career he engraved dozens of large portraits,
among which a beautiful portrait of John F Kennedy, and hundreds of stamps. Being
an experienced engraver when he joined the BEP, he was set to work immediately
on a number of values of the new Presidential Series definitive set, which
would be introduced in the year of Brooks’ arrival. Brooks would also
contribute a large number of values to its successor, the 1954 Liberty
definitive issue.
Brooks managed to evolve his engraving style to such an
extent that it ended up being merely diagonal lines, but shaped in such a way
that he was able to create an almost photographic engraving.
Charles A Brooks passed away on 31 June 1993.
You will find Charles A Brooks' database HERE.