Chapter I: 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.

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