Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-09
PhioteEc News
Official Eisenhower Portrait Enqroved
Bx Iomes WoIdo Eowcett

i. The official Government
portrait of President Eisen-
hover has been engraved by
one of the Nations acknowl-
edged masters in that branch
of art. His name is Charles A.
Brooks, and he has been en-
ployed as a portrait engraver
in the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing for the past Is
years.
Born in Washington in 1905
and educated at the Corcoran
Art School here and at the
Academy of Design in Phila-
delphia, Mr.. Brooks is the
son of George A. Brooks, also
a skilled engraver well known
in this city. He resides with
his wife and 10-year-old
daughter Mary Elizabeth 1, at
1888 StuyveSant place NV.
Aside from his professional
work, his major interest is
mechanics. He has an intricate
toy railroad system in the
attic of his house.
Foees Are Specially
Mr.. Brooks speciality as an
engraver is the representation
of the human countenance,
but he is experienced, too, in
engraving landscapes and
genre pictures. One Of his
productions is the back of the
current $40 bill, showing the
balcony which President Thu
man had built on the south
side of the White House.
Among the stamps which he
has engraved is the popular
American Medical Association
commemorative based on Sir
Luke Fildes' dramatization,
THE Doctor" the original of
which is in the Tate Gallery
in London.
It was to Mr.. Brooks that
the picture work" of the s.
cent Commodore Perry-Open-
ing of Japan stamp was as
signed. He likewise engraved
the pictorial .yignetteS OF the
Betsy Ross, Boy Scout, De-
troit, Nevada, Battle of Brook
Ign, B. & O., GAR and UCV
and Women in the Armed
Services commemorative.
Mr.. Brooks further is cred
tied with engraving the Off
cial portrait of President Tru-
man soon after he succeeded
President Roosevelt in April.
1945. His study of President
Eisenhower has been approved
by the President, who is re-
ported to have called it a very
f1attering portrait. The photo
graph upon which it was pred
icated was furnished by Pres
ident Eisenhower personally.
1t came from SHAPE in Paris
= and originally showed the
President in military uniform.
Mr.. Brooks, by request, put
him in civies." The labor of
engraving the plate was begun
soon after election day and
was finished shortly before in
auguration day. While Mr..
Brooks was busy on his job his
colleague. Richard Bower, was
at work on a small medallion
portrait of President EiSen-
hover which some day will be
used on currency.
Copies AvoiIobIe
Copies of Mr.. Brooks official
portrait are available to the
public at the Budget Office of
the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing at IS cents a copy.
The Commission of Fine Arts,
in its special report to the
President, specifically recon-
mends that 1.-The subject mat
ter of postage stamps should
include, not only representa-
tions of persons and events of
historical Importance, but also
architectural monuments and
other evidence of American
culture, which can in this way
be made known to people
throughout the world" and
philatelists, in general. agree
with the sentiment thus ex-
pressed.
Several practical considera-
tons, however. must be taken
into account. The first of these
is that Scent stamps only in
frequently are used for frank
ing mail going outside the
United States. If people
throughout the world" are to
be influenced by postal paper
showing architectural monu-
ments and other evidences of
American culture" they must
be reached by stamps especial
ly made for foreign mail-tha
is, scent issues and high
value airmailS; and even these.
it necessarily should be remem-
bered. can pass behind the Iron