Charles Lanman (June 14, 1819 - March 4, 1895) was an American author, government official, artist, librarian, and explorer.

Lanman studied art under Asher B. Durand and at 28 became an elected associate of the National Academy of Design in 1846.

[3] He was also the librarian for the City of Washington Library, the American secretary to the Japanese legation, and assistant assessor for the District of Columbia.

He also produced scientific articles such as "The Salmonidae of Eastern Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia".

Many of those early sketches were published in The Illustrated London News and in various American magazines.