Silhouette profile portraits as 19th century entertainment

“Silhouettes By Hand” offers silhouette portraiture for many kinds of event types. Some of the most interesting event types are history-related, especially in a museum or history park.

On August 6-7, 2011, “Silhouettes By Hand” will be in the middle of the 19th Century… in Canada.

The “UPPER CANADA HERITAGE CARNIVAL (50 Feats of Fun and Festivity)” (Morrisburg, Ontario) will be a grand showcase of fabulous 19th century forms of entertainment:

This unique weekend event will be brimming with the colour and excitement of real 19th century entertainment and fun, including a one-of-a-kind period-historical Circus Equestrian Show, a Travelling Medicine Show, and a Dime Museum of Circus Oddities. A wandering Gypsy Illusionist will be joining the festivities, mystifying audiences with his slight of hand, both during staged performances and face-to-face with visitors. You may have the chance to join in a dance of the Cumberland Reel! Discover the history of Magic Lantern Shows. Special guest artisans, period peddlers and vendors will demonstrate their crafts and selling their wares and special treats. Carnival-goers will also have the chance to partake in some 1860s sportsmanship and competitions, and are invited to take on the defending Village Champions in a boat rowing Regatta, or join in and learn how to play the historical game of Cricket. Children can test their agility in heritage games as they take a turn trying to “Climb a Greasy Pole”, navigate “Jacob’s Ladder”, or join in three-legged races, tug-o-wars, and sack races.

So where to silhouette portraits fit into this fabulous festival of feats?

The art of silhouette portraiture was a vital aspect of pre-”modern” life in the entirety of North America and her mother countries, England and France. Silhouette portraiture was called by many names: profile portraits, shadow portraits, profiles, shades, scissorgraphs, skiagraphs, and other names. It was the French that lent the name “silhouette” to the profile portrait form, named after a disliked French finance minister, Etienne De Silhouette, in the mid 1700s. Yet it was the English who applied the “silhouettes” name more carefully to the portrait form in 1801, and the name stuck after the 1830s. Photography was invented in 1829; the first human portraits appeared in 1839. By the 1860s, photography was gaining popularity but had not yet reached “common” status, especially in rural areas. Silhouette portraiture was still common for all forms of portraits: family members, soldiers leaving for war, and memories.

It’s important to remember that artists using scissors-only was becoming very rare; in the early 19th century, more traveling (“itinerant”) entrepreneurs were creating profile portraits by machine, tracing the shadow’s profile using a candle behind the subjects head. The fascinating talent of scissors-portraits were quite uncommon as the 19th century moved on.

Since the whole population did not have access to photography, the old forms of portraiture were still used when possible. By the 1860s, silhouettes were quaint but still common – everyone had family silhouettes on walls or tucked in bibles – a safe place to hold treasures, but the bible was also a common location for family papers. Earlier in the 19th century, there was even a social craze at parties for tracing silhouettes by throwing a person’s profile shadow on the wall. Additionally, there was a long history of the “science” of reading personalities by a person’s profile, called “physiognomy” or “anthroposcopy”.

At this exciting 19th century carnival at Upper Canada Village, “Silhouettes By Hand” will be cutting profile portraits for visitors and guests. If there is time, maybe we’ll have some great conversations about reading personality by the facial profile!

Due to the unknown quantity of silhouette profile artists in Canada (if any), this may be the only opportunity in Ontario (or perhaps all of Canada) to have a live silhouette portrait created for yourself or a family member. In addition, it’s still rare to see a freehand (no drawing or tracing the profile) silhouette artist – this is your chance!

The silhouettes are partially sponsored by the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, so any silhouette customers get a wonderfully inexpensive rate for their portraits.

Come to this lively 19th century carnival event and show your support for the fun-loving and history-loving Upper Canada Village.