22 Jan Charles Bird King Self-Portrait at 30

Charles Bird King Self-Portrait at 30, c. 1815. Charles Bird King (1785-1862). Oil on Canvas. Bequest of Charles Bird King.

Charles Bird King was born in Newport, made his living in Washington, DC as a painter of political figures and other celebrities of the day. Over the years, King contributed handsomely to the Library, giving money, books, and scores of paintings. Upon his death, he gave the Redwood his own personal library, volumes of bound engravings, a significant sum of money and 75 additional paintings.