Barber, C. A, Master (SCC Newsletter December 2001)

MASTER BARBER FL.1848-51

A CHILD PRODIGY?

Master Barber's work came to light at the time of the Great Exhibition in 1851 - at which he demonstrated his skills. He was reported to be aged 10 years at the time. To be on show at this Exhibition assumes that his skills were of some standing and had been practised for a time before. Clearly this is the case as a few years ago I came across two small cut-outs scenes by Master Barber. These were both inscribed on the back in contemporary handwriting as follows: -

"cut out by C. A. Barber.

aged 8 years

Soho Square 1848."

The date is three years before the Exhibition - which would make him 10 or thereabouts in 1851. I have illustrated these scenes in this article. Mrs. N. Jackson lists him in her History & Dictionary of silhouette artists - page 79. She describes him as a free-hand cutter, who executed "figures and landscapes out of paper with scissors-no design having been first traced". The scenes I have illustrated are both connected with horses and hunting. Perhaps not a very popular subject at the present time, but obviously a good subject in the mid-nineteenth century and one that lent itself well to the cutter's skills. The scene could easily be made into a comic one! Some of you may recall the work of am Brierley towards the end of the century. One of his favourite subjects was to cut horses with huntsmen falling off their backs into ponds and the like! He was particularly good at depicting water. Mrs. McKechnie has an entry on Master Barber in her Book on page 188. This is largely taken from Mrs. Jackson's Dictionary as it seems she had not seen an example of the boy's work. She lists two other artists with the same surname but she found no connection with Master Barber and any other silhouette artist. She did not know his initials - these have only come to light with the purchase of these two scenes. There is no record that Master Barber continued to work as an artist after he reached manhood - it seems likely that he did not as I am sure some of us would have come across his work. It is possible that his type of cutting was not a money spinner at the time - unless performed by a child prodigy. Although Sam Brierley was fairly prolific - it. was not a way of earning his living and does not seem to have made him rich! Equally it is possible that Master Barber got fed up with it and turned to other activities! However, whatever the reasons for not continuing his skill with the scissors cannot be disputed. There is a liveliness about his pictures as well. The rough pencil squiggles in the foreground of the scenes do not add much to the finished result and may not have been done by him. There have been other prodigies in the history of silhouette - Master Hubard to name but one. These have inevitably been cutters rather than painters. When Hubard was 13 he came to Ramsgate to launch his career and an advertisement was put in the local paper as follows: - "Master Hubard, the celebrated little artist, who by a mere glance at the face and with a pair of common scissors -(not by a machine, sketch, pencil etc. but from sight alone) - cuts out." I think he had a good promoter! Quite rightly Mrs. McKechnie has a long entry on Master Hubard - pages 236 - 243. He provided the inspiration for the Hubard Gallery (which has its own history) and also went on to become a skilled painter in oils when he gave up cutting. He will be the subject of an article in his own right at a later date.

Master Hanks is also recorded by Mrs. McKechnie (page 221) - he was an American who worked in this country. He was a skilled cutter, but Mrs. McKechnie is doubtful if he was ever a prodigy!

Master Hubard was thirteen in 1822 before silhouettes were competing with photographs - also he was able to cut profiles. There is no evidence that Master Barber cut profiles - so whilst talented he had not the precocious talents of the earlier Hubard.

Do let me know if any of you have works by Master Barber and whether these are inscribed with the same words, dates and initials.