The Pre-photo Silhouette

The Mifflin Family is well-represented by the silhouette likenesses they’ve left us. Mifflins centered in Philadelphia, Chester, Wrightsville, and Columbia are represented by this unique art.

An abridged article by Ted Stuessy, a contemporary silhouette artist, writing for the Museum of the American Revolution, offers wonderful background to this (almost) lost art:

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“The silhouette has a long, winding history that bridges class and geographical divides. As the artform made its way from Europe to North America, these shadowy images gained a unique connection to Revolutionary-era Philadelphia, steps away from the Museum of the American Revolution today.

What are now referred to as silhouettes were in fact referred to as "likenesses," or sometimes "shades," in the 18th century. Already popular in Europe, the term silhouette was originally associated with the mid-18th-century French aristocrat Étienne de Silhouette, who had a hobby of collecting profile likenesses cut from paper. Named after an unpopular figure in France, the term silhouette was initially used with a negative connotation meaning "on the cheap;" however, this reference was eventually lost, and the term became synonymous with miniature shadow portraits.

The practice of having miniature protiles created of oneself soon came to America. In 1802, a portion of the Pennsylvania State House - now known as Independence Hall - temporarily housed the Peale Museum. This museum was created by Charles Willson Peale as a way to expose Philadelphians to items of cultural interest, including portraits of prominent members of society, natural history exhibits, and all manner of curiosities. To ensure repeat visitation, many exhibits were added, specifically a mechanical device called a Physiognotrace, which was used to create a miniature likeness of patrons as an added amusement.

Many of the silhouettes of the day were created by Moses Williams (1777-1825), who was the primary cutter of profiles at the Peale Museum in the late 18th and early 19th century. At its height of popularity, the museum turned out up to 8,000 silhouettes a year. As few people could afford to have a formal portrait painted, the "poor man's portrait" was an appealing option to many and had particular appeal within the Quaker community. Williams was enslaved, and while growing up in the Peale household, he learned many skills, one of which was cutting silhouettes. When Williams became emancipated, he continued to cut silhouettes at the museum and earn his living, which allowed him to purchase a house and marry.

With the commercial development of the camera in the 1830s, silhouettes began to fall out of fashion. The ability to record the image of people and families had become more and more accessible and silhouettes no longer appealed to a society that was embracing a new technological marvel. And for a period of time, the silhouette started to fade into obscurity.”

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Some silhouette artists used a setup which helped the process along (as shown). Many others insisted they do their silhouettes freehand, snipping away as they studied their subject.