John Carter (mouth artist)
John Carter (31July 18154June 1850) was an English silk weaver and artist, who, after an accident left him paralysed from below the neck, learnt to draw, paint and write by holding the pencil, pen or brush in his mouth. His outstanding ability drew much public interest, with accounts of his life and favourable reviews of his work appearing in the press both at home, the United States and elsewhere. Life Carter, a silk-weaver by trade, was born of humble parents at Coggeshall, in the county of Essex, on 31 July 1815. He attended the local infants' school in Church Street in the town, followed by the Parish National School, then, at the age of 13, the local endowed school (founded by Sir Robert Hitcham in 1636), where he remained for two years. Although he had no obvious great talent as a boy, he admitted that "Whenever I had a pen or pencil in my hand, I was sure to be drawing in my books or on my slate, and at home about the walls of the house"; however this propensity was not developed any further and an artistic career was not considered. On leaving school, Carter was apprenticed to a