Though more a note-book than a scrap-book, an interesting relic of the laborious methods of Lavater must be mentioned here. This volume, which is one of the chief treasures of the Wellesley collection, is a small leather-bound book, in which the philosopher pasted the silhouette portraits of those persons whose heads he wished to measure, study, and compare with others in his collection, and then to pronounce judgment upon as to their mental and moral qualities. The fact that Goëthe was for a time enthusiastic with regard to Lavater’s work casts a glamour over the little book, with its many pictures and vast store of minutely written notes.
Another album, which is also in Mr. Wellesley’s collection, is most elaborate. Each page has a finely wrought border, in the centre of which is pasted the silhouette portrait of a friend; the male sex is largely in the majority, but a few women’s profiles are included. We cannot imagine a more charming souvenir of an interesting circle of friends than such a shadow pageant. Old comrades would be brought to remembrance through the extraordinarily vivid personal touch that the silhouette picture retains; friends almost forgotten seem to rise up in the memory as we handle their black profile portrait, for there is a direct appeal in outline, which is more profound than when contour blurs the recollection.
In examining such a collection, one cannot help being interested in the very great variety of wigs—no two are alike; long and short queues, large and small ribbons, coquettish curls, majestic rolls, are shown amongst the men’s profiles, till we are bewildered with the variety, and cease to wonder that all kinds of fanciful names were given by the beaux of the day to the special hair-dressing they affected.
No less remarkable is the head-dressing of the ladies, and the elaboration of the curls and coifs is only eclipsed by the intricacy of the flowers, feathers, bows of ribbon gauze and taffeta with which the great erections are garnished. Even when there is no gilt pencilling to throw up the detail, the effect is marvellously interesting; and, for this reason alone, the old black shadow collections make a very absorbing study.
An extraordinarily interesting collection of upwards of one hundred and fifty is in a narrow folio volume in paper cover, dated 1804. Religious processions and ceremonies, rural and domestic scenes and children’s games, are cut with the utmost delicacy and mounted on white paper. Here are a few of the subjects:—Carrying the Host to a sick person at Nice; Cleaning Shoes in Paris; Drinking the Waters at Wiesbaden; Gathering Apples near Paris; Sprinkling Clothes at Bergen; Procession on Palm Sunday; Procession of the Virgin Mary; Jewish Wedding; The Pope carried round St. Peter’s; A Fish-market; Wine-making; and a dozen other complicated scenes. All are depicted with wonderful accuracy. This important collection has now unfortunately left England.
Another interesting little scrap-book of yellow paper, bound in calf, contains the portraits of—the King (George III.); Edw. King, Esq.; Mrs. King; Mrs. Carter, the translator of Epictetus; Tiberius Cavallo, Esq.; Mrs. Fiere, mother of the Rt. Hon. S. H. Fiere; Baron Rechausen, Swedish Minister; Madame Rechausen; two favourites; Miss H. Randall; Warren Hastings, Esq., Governor-General of India; General Paoli. Some of these are in Indian ink, some in cut paper.
SILHOUETTE PORTRAIT OF A MAN
By A. Forberger, Paris. Signed and dated 1791