British Newspaper Archive research results

Our in-house silhouette research team has discovered information about the lives of artists and others involved with silhouettes, by searching the historic newspapers now available online via the British Newspaper Archive (BNA). Set out below is a table of findings made to date using the search terms 'profilist', 'shadow art 'silhouettist' although it's worth noting that several entries were discovered as a result of searching misspellings of these words.

Some of the entries confirm recorded data, some extend our knowledge of a particular person, for example, that they worked in a city with which they were not previously associated, other entries reveal previously unrecorded artists (these are the bold entries). At present, we estimate that for every 100 entries studied, we discover a half dozen new artists.

Over time, we hope that our in-house team and other users of this website will contribute further information to the system. To offer new material, please email your entries to:  pauline@rth.org.uk

You can filter the columns in the table below into either an alphabetical, numerical or historical order. To do so, simply click in the top cell of the relevant row. 

Date Publication Name Misc.
02/05/1782 Derby Mercury Salkeld  
21/11/1789 Oxford Journal Hamlet, William Encouraged by their Majesties.  Drawing taught after a new method.
30/12/1809 Norfolk Chronicle Atkinson (Mr) in the house of Mr Stannard.
04/04/1810 Bury and Norwich Post Atkinson, (Mr) Advanced notice for 15th April
20/12/1810 Derby Mercury Foster, Edward from London
22/10/1811 Chester Courant Foster, (Mr)  
19/03/1812 Exeter Flying Post Foster, Edward Notice of taking rooms for a short time.  Promise of repayment if likeness is no good.  Sitting will last no longer than 1 minute
16/04/1812 Exeter Flying Post Foster, Edward Leaving the city and congratulaed on the Patent for his new machine.
09/08/1815 Bury and Norwich Post Foster Poem written by Eriness but who is the 'Corinthian Dame'?
09/08/1815 Bury & Norwich Post Foster, Edward Written by ERINESS (Poem)
17/11/1815 Cambridge Chronicle & Journal Foster, (Mr) Testimony
01/11/1815 Bury and Norwich Post Gibbs, H Testimony
01/03/1816 Cambridge Chronicle & Journal Foster, (Mr)  
12/08/1819 Bury and Norwich Post Stanley, C Extending his stay to 15th
09/03/1821 Cambridge Chronicle & Journal Denny, Thomas Insolventcy
13/01/1826 Chester Chronicle Foster, (Mr) Announcing his arrival and his first visit in 15 years
22/02/1828 Cambridge Chronicle & Journal Eduoart, (Mons.) Arrived from Oxford
14/03/1828 Cambridge Chronicle & Journal Eduoart, (Mons.)  
09/05/1828 Cambridge Chronicle & Journal Eduoart, (Mons.) Lamenting his departure of the city in a few days.
31/03/1829 Morning Post Edouart, (Mons) Exhibition
07/05/1829 Morning Post Edouart, (Mons) Exhibition
29/03/1830 Morning Post Field, John  
08/10/1831 Huntingdon, Bedford & Peterborough Gazzete Whittle E Patronised by the King of the French
05/05/1832 Northampton Mercury Barnes (Mr) extending his stay in Northampton but he is fron Leicester
19/05/1832 Morning Chronicle Field, John Appointed to be the profilist for the queen, this would have been the wife of William IV (Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen).
27/08/1832 Hampshire Telegraph Wheeler, T Exhibition, 1s entry fee.  Includes portraits of Their Majesties.  All entrants will be presented with a 'striking resemblance of themselves'
19/04/1833 Chelmsford Chronicle Tunmer, C F From London
26/04/1833 Coventry Herald Automaton Artist (The) No name mentioned just the machine!
26/04/1833 Chelmsford Chronicle Tunmer, C F Started business at said address
17/08/1833 Cheltnham Looker-On Beaumont, W H  
24/08/1833 Cheltnham Looker-On Beaumont, W H  
31/08/1833  Cheltnham Looker-On Beaumont W.H  
31/08/1833 Cheltnham Looker-On Beaumont, W H  
07/09/1833 Cheltnham Looker-On Beaumont, W H  
07/09/1833 Hereford Times Spencer, (Mr) Cut 1000 correct profiles on his last visit
14/09/1833 Cheltnham Looker-On Beaumont, W H  
21/09/1833 Cheltnham Looker-On Beaumont, W H  
14/12/1833 Huntingdon, Bedford & Peterborough Gazzete Adolphe (Monsieur)  
24/12/1833 Derby Mercury Foster, Edward  
11/01/1834 Huntingdon, Bedford & Peterborough Gazzete Adolphe (Monsieur) All likenesses warranteed as correct.
18/01/1834 Huntingdon, Bedford & Peterborough Gazzete Adolphe (Monsieur)  
01/02/1834 Huntingdon, Bedford & Peterborough Gazzete Adolphe (Monsieur) Profilist and Minature Painter to Louis Phillippe, King of the French.  Families attended at their own houses on 31/01/1834
08/02/1834 Huntingdon, Bedford & Peterborough Gazzete Adolphe (Monsieur) Upward of 700 likenesses done in the time to now in St Neots
15/02/1834 Huntingdon, Bedford & Peterborough Gazzete Adolphe (Monsieur) Extending his stay!
24/05/1834 Northampton Mercury Colpoys, T  
28/07/1834 Hampshire Telegraph Beaumont, W.H  
28/02/1835 Hereford Times Adolphe (Monsieur) From Paris
14/03/1835 Hereford Times Adolphe (Monsieur)  
29/08/1835 Manchester Times White (Mr) On his way to Manchester from Stockport
15/12/1835 Brighton Patriot Crowhurst, (Mr) A subscription (collection?) was being made for him because of a fire?
02/03/1836 Taunton Courier & Western Advertiser Sully, B C (Mrs) Member of The Honourable East India Company's Society of Arts, Calcutta
30/06/1836 Chelnham Chronicle Edouart, (Mons) Exhibition
09/07/1836 Cheltnham Looker-On Edouart, (Mons) Exhibition
15/9/1836 Cheltnham Chronicle Edouart, (Mons) Silhouette Display
07/09/1837 Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette Beaumont Over 2000 sittings in 15 months
15/08/1838 Taunton Courier & Western Advertiser Hamlet, William  
15/08/1838 Taunton Courier & Western Advertiser Miers, John  
15/08/1838 Taunton Courier & Western Advertiser Mitchell Cox, James  
01/09/1838 Leamington Spa Courier The Hubard Gallery An example of a gallery with several profilists working under it's banner.
26/12/1840 Birmingham Journal Darbyshire, A (Mr) advertising for Christmas
24/04/1841 Birmingham Journal Darbyshire, A (Mr) Short stay
04/09/1841 The Examiner   Article about the art of profile making
20/01/1842 Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette Beaumont, W H  
19/03/1842 Bristol Mercury Bosenquet, J E (Mr) late of Regent Street, London
23/04/1842 Carlisle Journal Gilbert (Mr & Mrs)  
11/06/1842 Carlisle Journal Gilbert (Mr & Mrs) Mrs Gilbert appears to teach Oriental Painting whilst Mr Gilber does the profiles.
02/07/1842 Newcastle Jounal Hubard Silhouette Gallery  
05/08/1842 Newcastle Courant Hubard Silhouette Gallery  
21/01/1843 Berkshire Chronicle Betts,  
13/07/1844 Berkshire Chronicle Betts, (Mr)  
20/07/1844 Berkshire Chronicle Betts, (Mr)  
09/08/1844 Essex Standard Raper (Mr) Considerable interest shown!
02/01/1845 Bradford Observer Skeolan, (Mr) Striking likenesses in bronze, shade and colours.
09/01/1845 Bradford Observer Skeolan, (Mr)  
20/02/1845 Bradford Observer Skeolan, (Mr)  
06/08/1846 Morning Post Field, John This entry seems to relate to some sort of fete or fair.
25/06/1847 Chelmsford Chronicle Orr, (Mr)  
10/07/1847 Leeds Mercury Maginn, R From Manchester.  Found as result of spelling mistake (profileist)
30/08/1847 Caledonian Mercury Kay, William  
03/09/1847 Chelmsford Chronicle Kay, William report of an accident on a steam ship where he sustained very severe bruiseing about his head and face.
09/10/1847 Hampshire Telegraph Bosenquet, (Mr)  
13/11/1847 Oxford Journal Seville (Mr)  
11/05/1848 Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette Martin, (Mr)  
18/01/1851 Huddersfield Chronicle Sharp, (Mr)  
01/02/1851 Huddersfield Chronicle Sharp, (Mr)  
15/2/1851 Huddersfield Chronicle Sharp, (Mr)  
15/3/1851 Huddersfield Chronicle Sharp, (Mr) from Cavendish Square, London
9/7/1852 North Wales Chronicle Sharp, (Mr)  
27/08/1852 North Wales Chronicle Sharp, (Mr)  
24/09/1852 North Wales Chronicle Sharp, (Mr)  
1/10/1852 North Wales Chronicle Sharp, (Mr)  
16/01/1869 Pall Mall Gazette Konewka, Paul (Herr) previously unknown
06/02/1869 Birmingham Journal Konewka, (Mr) Did silhouettes of Shakespearian characters.
05/03/1870 London City Press Brunton, W (Mr)  
17/05/1873 Leeds Mercury Artist, Automaton  
31/05/1873 Leeds Mercury Artist, Automaton  
30/03/1888 Dundee Courier Ljungh, Ernest  (Herr)  
02/04/1888 Evening Telegraph Ljungh, (Herr)  
03/04/1888 Dundee Courier Ljungh, (Herr)  
06/04/1888 Aberdeen Journal Ljungh, (Herr)  
21/04/1888 Aberdeen Journal Ljungh, (Herr)  
21/04/1888 Aberdeen Evening Express Ljungh, (Herr) from Stockholm
17/09/1892 Isle of Man Times Haden, (Prof)  
28/05/1894 Daily Gazette for Middlesbrough Taylor, Delina Drowned with 2 others 
25/06/1895 Isle of Man Times Haden, (Prof)  
29/06/1895 Isle of Man Times Haden, (Prof)  
19/08/1899 Isle of Man Times Haden, (Prof)  
02/09/1899 Cheltnham Looker-On Edouart, (Mons)  
02/09/1899 Cheltnham Looker-On Rosenberg, (Mr)  
02/09/1899 Cheltnham Looker-On Tussaud, (Mr) Son of Madame Tussaud
02/10/1899 Cheltnham Looker-On   Article
24/1/1914 Cheltnham Chronicle Handrup, (Mr) "All the rage"
30/6/1914 Liverpool Echo Cox, Lonzo  
9/10/1914 Kent & Sussex Courier Milner, Amies (Mr)  
15/10/1914 Kent & Sussex Courier Milner, Amies (Mr) Patriotic concert for waifs and strays
28/5/1915 Surrey Mirror Handrup, (Mr)  
9/6/1917 Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette Handrup, (Mr)  
6/3/1918 Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer Miers, John Request for work from a student writing a paper
23/4/1919 Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer Miers, John From Leeds
8/8/1919 Western Times Handrup, (Mr)  
4/7/1924 Chelmsford Chronicle   Advert for an event
31/7/1924 The Yorkshire Post & Leeds Intelligencer Oakley, Lawrence (Capt.) Mother's death notice.
19/9/1925 Hastings & St Leonards Observer Oakley, J B (Capt.) Selling his shed!
4/11/1925 Aberdeen Journal   Article by Mervyn Thompson
16/2/1926 Yorkshire Evening Post   article about silhouettes
21/6/1928 Western Daily Press Handrup, (Mr)  
16/11/1928 Hull Daily Mail Oakley, J B (Capt.)  
22/11/1928 Hull Daily Mail Oakley, J B (Capt.)  
29/11/1928 Hull Daily Mail Oakley, J B (Capt.)  
24/11/1932 Western Daily Press August  
24/11/1932 Western Daily Press Edouart  
24/11/1932 Western Daily Press Jackson, F Nevil Author and expert
24/11/1932 Western Daily Press Miers,                      Article, Mrs Nevile Jackson lecture, found as Shadow Atists
24/11/1932 Western Daily Press Stooke, James  
16/2/1935 Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette Lane-Kilfe, M  
16/2/1935 Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette Rosenburg  
16/2/1935 Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette Spornburg  
16/2/1935 Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette Hamlet  
6/6/1938 Dundee Courier Ramage, J (Mr) Jr  
30/8/1938 Western Morning Star Torrond Famous French Silhouette Artist  (contains a nice illustration)
28/10/1938 Western Daily Press Stephen "the Lightening Silhouettist" from Hungary
29/10/1938 Western Daily Press Nanasay, Stephen L Perfect black and white pictures
31/8/1938 Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer Eduoart, (Mons.) article and illustration
31/8/1938 Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer Jackson, E Nevil article and illustration
13/4/1940 Aberdeen Journal   Nice profile illustration
18/7/1947 Derby Daily Telegraph Foster, Edward Biographical piece