Silhouette Art of Early America is a data visualization project inspired by the work of William Bache, an early ninteenth century artist who created thousands of silhouette portraits. These delicate cut paper profiles capture both likeness and mystery offering a unique glimpse into early American identity and artistry. Traveling throughout the eastern seaboard of the United States and to the Caribbean and Cuba, Bache captured American society from politicians, everyday men, women, and children. Inexpensive to create these sihouettes were kept as mementos, placed inside a locket, added to a family album or just shared with family members.

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This project transforms over 1800 of his silhouettes into interactive data, highlighting both named and unidentified figures across gender that can be explored, filtered, and traced. Like many similar silhouette artisans', one of the techniques used involved carefully tracing a person's profile using a device called a physiognotrace. The outlines and ‘tracing’ of these profiles is visualized here. Any combination of silhouettes can be selected and explored.

 

Using AI, otherwise unidentified sitters that had no face can now be visualized. This project invites one to explore these portraits not just as silhouettes but as a window into the image of early America.