White George (McKechnie Section 1)

Recorded by Jackson (Dictionary). Jackson also records, in a separate entry ('White's’), a number of silhouettes which were sold in a 'parcel' by Sotheby and Company, London, in July 1931. Most of these were full-length, and some, if not all, were marked on the back with a stencil, `Cut with Scissors at White's'. Jackson gives the date of these examples as c. 1850. In my collection there are two full-length silhouettes, both of which are inscribed, with a brush, 'Cut with Scissors by White'; these are dated 1854. This suggests that the silhouettes in the 'parcel' mentioned by Jackson were also probably by White; the dates are close, and Jackson's brief description of the work supports the theory.

Jackson notes a trade label which gives an address in Blackpool, ‘in Queen's Terrace, opposite the Royal Hotel'. This label was seen on the back of a photograph of the Boys family owned by Mrs Scholfield, of Ripon, Yorkshire, for White was one of the late silhouette artists who combined his work with photography. He may possibly have been the Joseph White, recorded by Foskett, who worked as a miniaturist in London in the mid-nineteenth century and also painted miniatures in oil in imitation of the old masters. Or he may have been one of the exhibitors named White recorded by Graves; a D. White, from London, exhibited three figures at the Royal Academy 1864-69. The scanty evidence provided by White's work suggests that he lived in the north of England, but may later have settled in London.

Two full-length profiles by White, of a man and his wife, are illustrated in Chapters Five and Seven. These examples are cut from dull grey paper, and the costume detail is painted on this either in Indian ink, or in black water-colour pigment; apparently no gum arabic was used. There is no bronzing. White seems to have used both a coarse and a fine brush. The work, especially in view of its late date, is reasonably good. The man's hair is painted entirely in Chinese white; brush-strokes are carefully omitted to show the bald patch on top of his head. Both sitters hold a book or a folder. A sabre-legged chair, with a curved top back rail (probably a gallery stock piece) is shown on both examples. Flooring is indicated by sparsely scattered concentric ovals.

It is evident that White could produce bronzed work of a calibre almost equal to that of the Friths. In Major M. Ayrton's collection there is a full-length silhouette, of a boy fishing, cut and finely painted in gold. This apparently dates from the early 1850s. The base on which the figure stands is less skilfully executed than the figure. It is painted in streaky black water-colour, deeper on the right of the picture, and above is a large semi-circle in pale Prussian blue, included no doubt to indicate the water from which the boy has just extracted a minute fish.

Most of the cut silhouettes in the bundle mentioned by Jackson, attributable in my opinion to White, are full-length figures. One bust-length example of White's work has, however, been seen. This was signed by the artist and dates from c. 1850. The sitter is a woman. It is painted, like the illustrated examples, in black lines on dull grey paper.

The two silhouettes (1854) illustrated in Chapters Five and Seven are both signed, with a brush, as I have mentioned, 'Cut with scissors by White'. There are three trade labels. No. 1 is the stencil (reading 'Cut with scissors at White's') noted by Jackson on the silhouette discussed above.

Trade Label No. 2 (a printed label) was noted by Jackson on the photograph (1855) of the Boys family:

Photographic Portraits, Paper Cuttings, &c.

Taken by

MR. WHITE

at his Gallery (daily), Queen's Terrace, opposite the Royal Hotel, Blackpool.

Likenesses faithfully copied.

Open from 7 am until 7 in the evening.

Trade Label No. 3 is another printed label which may have been used earlier than No. 2, but has not been seen on a dated example. It has been seen on the reverse of the example in Major Ayrton's collection. Measuring about 21/2 in. square, it reads:

PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS

Paper Cutting, &c., &c.

TAKEN BY MR. WHITE

Likenesses faithfully copied.

Ills. 150, 225, 622

150 225 622