Charles Cushing Wright

Charles Cushing Wright (1 May 1796, in Damariscotta, Maine – 7 June 1857, in New York City)[1] was an American engraver and medalist. In 1825 he was a founding member of the National Academy of Design.

Wright was first apprenticed to a silversmith in Utica, New York, then came to New York City in 1823 and established a partnership with the painter Asher Brown Durand (1796–1886) until 1827, named Durand and Wright, Engravers.[2]

Together with Samuel Morse, Durand and others, Wright was one of the "First Fifteen" founders of the National Academy of Design in 1825.[2]

Charles Cushing Wright has been called "The First American Medalist".[3] He both designed and cut his medals[4] 17 of which are currently in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.[5]

Personal life

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Wright married Lavinia Delliber (died July 6, 1860), a Huguenot from Charleston, South Carolina and a direct descendant of the second settlers of that city. He was the father of the notable physician Hannah Amelia Wright.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Wright, Charles Cushing, Bénézit.
  2. ^ a b "Charles Cushing Wright (1796-1854)". Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  3. ^ "Charles Cushing Wright and His Medals". Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  4. ^ Charles Cushing Wright in: AskART.com, retrieved 18 April 2015
  5. ^ "Collection / 17 results out of 448,508 records". Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  6. ^ Willard, Frances Elizabeth, 1839-1898; Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice, 1820-1905 (1893). A woman of the century; fourteen hundred-seventy biographical sketches accompanied by portraits of leading American women in all walks of life. Buffalo, N.Y., Moulton. p. 803-804. Retrieved 8 August 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.