He was the son of
Johannes Michael Speckter, whose lithographic company he took over in 1834. His brother was the painter,
Erwin Speckter. He initially made himself known through lithography, then began illustrating books with
arabesques,
vignettes and figure drawings. He illustrated ''
Luther's Small Catechism, Der Pilgerfahrt der Blumengeister
(Pilgrimage of the Flower Spirits) by Adolf Böttger, Quickborn
by Klaus Groth, Hannchen und die Küchlein
(Hanna and the Cakes) by Christian August Gottlob Eberhard, Hanne Nüte
by Fritz Reuter, and 50 Fabeln für Kinder
(Fifty Fables for Children) by , which was translated into English, by Mary Howitt. as Otto Speckter’s Fable Book''. He was one of the founding members of the . He was married to Marie Auguste, née Bergeest (1824–1899). Their son, , also became an illustrator, but died in a mental institution at an early age. There is an "Otto-Speckter-Straße" in the Hamburg district of
Barmbek-Nord. He was interred in a family plot at
Ohlsdorf Cemetery. In 2019, his works were part of an exhibition; "Hamburger Schule – Das 19. Jahrhundert neu entdeckt", held at the
Hamburger Kunsthalle. == Sources ==