19th-century silhouettes in newly digitized collection

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/find-out-if-your-ancestor-is-among-these-19th-century-silhouettes-in-this-newly-digitized-collection-180981947/

by prismatic • 3 years ago

13 2 3 years ago

smithsonianmag.com

singeezie• 3 years ago

I know this is a digitized collection, but the original way 19th century silhouettes were created was pretty interesting and as most would think pretty simple . They were created by cutting out the outline of a person's profile from black paper, and then mounting the cut-out onto a contrasting background. :)

But all silliness aside, silhouette portraits were a popular alternative to more expensive painted portraits and were especially popular in the United States during the early 19th century. They were also used as a way of creating a memento of loved ones, especially those who were far away or had passed away.

The process of creating silhouette portraits was relatively simple and required only a few materials, including black paper, scissors, and a light source. The subject would sit or stand in front of the light source, and the artist would trace their profile onto the paper before cutting it out.

Robelius• 3 years ago

Still had this tab open today (in typical tab hoarding fashion), and saw no one else commented. So just wanted to say thanks for sharing this fun fact. I learned something new, and started going down a rabbit hole yesterday because of you!

19th-century silhouettes in newly digitized collection

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