Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Summers, Charles
SUMMERS, CHARLES (1827–1878), sculptor, son of George Summers, a mason, was born at East Charlton, Somerset, on 27 July 1827. One of his brothers attained success as a musician. Charles received little education, but showed early talent for sketching portraits. While employed at Weston-super-Mare on the erection of a monument he attracted the attention of Henry Weekes [q. v.], who took him into his studio and gave him his first lessons in modelling. He also received lessons from Musgrave Lewthwaite Watson [q. v.], and was employed after that artist's death in completing the immense group of Eldon and Stowell now in the library of University College, Oxford. In 1850 he won the silver medal of the Royal Academy, and in 1851 the gold medal for a piece, ‘Mercy interceding for the Vanquished.’
In 1853 Summers went out to Australia as a gold-digger at Turnagulla, Victoria, but, meeting with no success, he obtained employment as a modeller in connection with the Victorian houses of parliament, then in course of erection, and began work at his old art in Melbourne, where he gradually made progress. He was selected in 1864 for the important task of designing the memorial to Burke and Wills which now stands at the corner of Russel and Collins Street, Melbourne; the group was in bronze, in which he had never worked before, so that his success was the more remarkable.
In 1866 Summers returned to England, and from that time exhibited regularly in the Royal Academy. In 1876 he executed statues of the queen, the prince consort, and the Prince and Princess of Wales for the public library at Melbourne. He resided chiefly at Rome. He died on 30 Nov. 1878 at Paris, and was buried at Rome. He was married and left one son, an artist.
[Thomas's Hero of the Workshop; Melbourne Argus, 1 Dec. 1878; Mennell's Dict. of Australasian Biography.]