If you’ve come to one of my book events over the last year or so, then you probably recognize the locket, above left. I almost always wear him, both for luck and because, since he dates from the late 1790s, he’s the perfect companion for the characters in my books. His profile is captured in verre-églomisé (named after the 18thc French mirror and picture framer Jean-Baptiste Glomy who invented it), a technique where the image is painted in reverse on glass.
I don’t know if the locket was meant as a sentimental piece, a love token, or a memorial tribute. The reverse side of the locket contains a woven lock of the gentleman’s chestnut-colored hair, plus his initials in gold. I also don’t know his name, or whether he was French, British, or American, though since I purchased him from an English dealer, he was probably from Great Britain. I especially liked his then newly-fashionable cropped hair, the little frill on the front of his shirt, and the high collar on his jacket. His pointy nose also reminded me of Alexander Hamilton (the leading male character in my historical novel I, Eliza Hamilton), and the black-on-gold silhouette was similar to the design/logo from the Hamilton musical. How could I resist?
Then I saw the silhouette, above right, which is of the real Alexander Hamilton.
This portrait is the work of William Bache (1771–1845), who created hundreds of silhouettes of women, men, and children of the young republic, from New England to New Orleans. Some are of famous individuals, like Hamilton and President Thomas Jefferson, that were likely made for exhibition. Most were of ordinary Americans. With the aid of his his patented physiognotrace, a profile-tracing apparatus, Bache could swiftly create accurate and affordable portraits for an audience eager for representations of themselves. Before photography, portraits had belonged exclusively to the elite classes who could afford to commission professional painters. Silhouettes - also called shades or shadows - were an economical and popular alternative. The profile portraits also fit into the era’s Neo-Classical sensibilities with their likeness to ancient Roman coins.
Bache’s silhouette of Hamilton is currently on display in the exhibition “In Profile: A Look at Silhouettes” at the New-York Historical Society. Alas, I doubt I’ll be able to see it in person, since the NYHS has wisely closed because of COVID 19, and likely won’t reopen before the exhibition is scheduled to end in April. I’m sorry; I would’ve enjoyed seeing the two pointy-nosed gentlemen side by side. They do look like they could be related, don’t they?
Above left: Locket from my personal collection.
Above right: Alexander Hamilton by William Bache, c1800, New-York Historical Society.
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