author
Charles L. (Charles Lewis) Wrenn
1880–1952
Known for both portrait painting and book illustration, this American artist brought a polished, narrative touch to everything from society portraits to early 20th-century printed works. His career connected the worlds of fine art and publishing in a way that still feels vivid today.
1 Audiobook
The Camp Fire Boys at Log Cabin Bend; Or, Four Chums Afoot in the Tall Timber
by St. George Rathborne, Charles L. (Charles Lewis) Wrenn
About the author
Charles Lewis Wrenn was an American artist, portraitist, and illustrator, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on September 18, 1880, and later active in New York and Connecticut. Reliable artist-reference sources identify him as a painter and illustrator, and library records connect him with illustrated books from the 1910s, including With Pershing on the Front.
Wrenn seems to have moved comfortably between commercial and fine-art work. Sources describe him as a portraitist and illustrator, while auction and artist records also link him with landscape painting. That mix helps explain his appeal: he was able to tell a story on the page while also building a career as an exhibiting artist.
He died on October 28, 1952. While detailed biographical material is limited online, the surviving record shows a versatile early 20th-century American artist whose work reached readers as well as art collectors.