THE HISTORY OF SILHOUETTES [Illustration: PORTRAIT OF A PRIVATE IN AN ENGLISH REGIMENT About the end of the 18th century In the possession of the Author] THE HISTORY OF SILHOUETTES BY E. NEVILL JACKSON [Illustration: THE CONNOISSEUR A MAGAZINE FOR COLLECTORS ILLUSTRATED] LONDON: THE CONNOISSEUR 1911 _All rights reserved Copyright by E. Nevill Jackson in the United States of America, 1911._ FAR IN AND OUT, ABOVE, ABOUT, BELOW, ’TIS NOTHING BUT A MAGIC SHADOW SHOW, PLAY’D IN A BOX WHOSE CANDLE IS THE SUN ROUND WHICH WE PHANTOM FIGURES COME AND GO. _Stanza XLVI. Fitzgerald’s translation of the Rubyat of Omar Kayyam._ FOREWORD. Amongst my reminiscences of personal belongings and the charm of old portraiture, none has given me greater pleasure than the silhouette of bygone days. The souvenir, sometimes cut by gifted amateurs, was exchanged amongst friends in my early days as the photograph is to-day. We had many at Wolterton, our Norfolk home, and the picture of my grandmother, Lady Orford, and the cuttings of Princess Elizabeth are amongst my treasured possessions. I remember Mr. Guest collected silhouettes, and had some fine examples of the work of Miers (who lived near Exeter Change), of Rosenberg, and of Field. Mr. Guest was a very good judge of such things, having, by many years of collecting, perfected a naturally cultured sense of art. Like myself, he had learnt much from Mr. Pollard. Lady Evelyn Cobbold shewed me three silhouettes of Mr. Cobbold, his father, and his grandfather, all perfect portraits, and very interesting. [Illustration: Dorothy Nevill] CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE 1 CHAPTER I. BLACK PROFILE PORTRAITURE, ITS PLACE IN ART, LITERATURE AND SOCIAL LIFE 3 CHAPTER II. THE COMING OF THE SILHOUETTE AND ITS PASSING 13 CHAPTER III. PROCESSES: (1) BRUSHWORK 20 CHAPTER IV. PROCESSES: (2) SHADOWGRAPHY AND MECHANICAL AIDS 35 CHAPTER V. PROCESSES: (3) FREEHAND SCISSOR-WORK 47 CHAPTER VI. AUGUST EDOUART AND HIS BOOK 59 CHAPTER VII. SCRAP-BOOKS. A ROYAL CUTTER AND HER WORK 73 CHAPTER VIII. SILHOUETTE DECORATION ON PORCELAIN AND GLASS—THE SILHOUETTE THEATRE 81