Profile of man's head facing to viewer's right. Ribbon holds back hair at neck and necktie bow visible below chin

William Birch, ca. 1805. Paper silhouette with embossed stamp from Peale’s Museum. Library Company of Philadelphia.

William Birch visited Peale’s Museum to have this silhouette made. Philadelphians of all means went to the art and natural history museum to have their profile cut for one penny.

Waist-length portrait of young white boy with wavy black hair

William Birch, Thomas Birch, ca. 1790. Watercolor, ink, and pencil. Library Company of Philadelphia.

Thomas Birch (1779-1851), William’s eldest son, pursued an art career like his father, finding success as a marine and landscape artist. Two of William’s other children, Priscilla Birch Barnes and George, also shared some of their father’s artistic talent. Priscilla exhibited work at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and George executed a drawing for one of his father’s Country Seats views.

Bust-length portrait of older white bald man wearing a high-necked shirt and tie

Thomas Birch, ca. 1850s. Salted paper photograph copy of daguerreotype. Library Company of Philadelphia.

 

Waist-length portrait of young, white, dark-haired girl wearing simple high-waisted clothing

William Birch, Albina Birch, ca. 1790. Watercolor, ink, and pencil. Library Company of Philadelphia.

Born in 1786, Albina was the youngest of William and Mary Child Birch’s six children.
Bust-length profile portrait of white woman facing to viewer's left. She wears high-waisted clothing and her blonde hair is arranged in bun on top of head

Attributed to William Birch, Albina Birch Atkinson, ca. 1805. Watercolor, ink, and pencil. Library Company of Philadelphia. 

In 1803 Albina married Guy Atkinson, a Virginia merchant, and settled in Alexandria. Birch recorded visiting the Atkinson family during a trip through the mid-Atlantic region undertaken primarily to seek subscriptions for his Philadelphia views.