Brown’s Portrait Gallery of Distinguished American Citizens
G.A. Baker & Co., NY 1931 Limited Edition of 600 Copies
27 Silhouette Portrait Plates
Folio Size 12” x 17”
Duotone Photogravures
William Brown (1808-1883, b. Charleston, SC) was a renowned silhouette artist, considered a child prodigy. He cut his silhouettes free hand, often from memory. He was very industrious, producing a 25-foot long silhouette of a St. Louis fire brigade. Our research has revealed an enormous volume of his work in “Profile Likenesses of the Executive and Legislature of Georgia”, 1855, that contains almost 200 of his full body silhouette portraits.
These scarce original prints of full body silhouettes are from “Brown’s Portrait Gallery”, a 1931 re-issue of the 1845 edition published by E.B. and F.C. Kellogg in Hartford, CT. Originally titled, “Portrait Gallery of Distinguished American Citizens” with Biographical Sketches and Fac-Similies of Original Letters”, by William H. Brown. The original publication is quite rare due to the fact that a fire destroyed most of the volumes in the 1840’s not long after publication. There are 27 plates, 26 of which are full body portraits (duotone photogravures) in silhouette on a background that is particular to the subject of the portrait. The 27 subjects of his silhouettes were drawn from life with the exception of George Washington. Many of the 27 subjects are well known to us today, including 6 presidents and statesmen such as Clay, Webster and Calhoun ("The Great Triumvirate"). The remaining subjects are less well known today but were very prominent and distinguished Americans at the time of the original publication. Each silhouette is accompanied by a fac-simile of a letter in that person’s own hand as well as a biography.
These unique works of art are wonderful authentic likenesses as well as representations of period costumes and interior decoration. Each print is sold accompanied by the facsimile letter and biography as well as a copy of Brown’s preface to his work.
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