Charles Dellschau emigrated from Prussia to Texas in 1850. He worked as a butcher. Shortly after his marriage, he worked as a salesman in his in-laws' saddlery shop. He lost a son and his wife, becoming a widower at the age of 47. After his death, Dellschau's house remained in the hands of his descendants.

His sketchbooks and drawings, as well as his diaries, were left virtually untouched for half a century until the late 1960s. Following a fire, at least twelve of his sketchbooks were recovered.

Dellschau is considered one of the first American Art Brut artists. His work has been interpreted as a testament to the optimism fostered by new technologies, which are changing the way people see the world. Dellschau's work is also remarkable for its masterful use of watercolor, often employing water as a medium with a subtle tint of color, and for its use of collage.

Dellschau's status as a leading artist stems from his entire body of work, including his use of 19th-century literary techniques, such as the use of code, which continues to baffle researchers seeking to prove the existence of Dellschau's airships.