Antique Silhouette Pair of Electa Case and John Black. Taken in Connecticut by Orson C. Warner in 1829

Peggy McClard Antiques

Americana & Folk Art

	"Married Pair" of American silhouettes of Electa Case and John Black, taken 2 years before their marriage. These lovely silhouettes each have a hollow cut head, uncut and pencil embellished collar (in John's profile the lapel is uncut and watercolor painted, and hollow cut bust-line below the collar. The artist added a little more interest to Electa's silhouette by adding some watercolor enhancement to her hair. The frame backing of each silhouette has an interesting inscription written in what appears to be grease pencil. The back of Electa's silhouette says: Electa Case Profile Simsbury is my native town Connecticut is the State Hartford is the County _____hill is the district Miss Electa Case Profile 1829 The back of John's silhouette reads: John Black profile Taken Oct 1st 1829 By Orson [or Orsan] C Warner State Conn October 1st Year 1829 Electa Case was born to Ambrose Case and Ruth Curtis Case on March 7, 1806, in Simsbury, Hartford County, Connecticut.She was one of at least 8 children. Electa's family had lived in Connecticut since at least the 17th century. Electa's mother, Ruth, died in 1811 and Ambrose took a second wife, Esther Chapman within 6 months of Ruth's death. I suppose he needed help taking care of all of those children. One might also wonder whether having 8 children within ten years might have contributed to Ruth's early demise!?
Electa married John Black in Simsbury on March 17, 1831 (two years after their profiles were taken). They were married by Smith Dayton, an Elder in the M.E. Church (I'm not sure what "M.E." stands for). John Black was also from Simsbury and was born about 1806. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any information about their children or John Black's family tree. I did find the date of Electa's death, September 16, 1849. Both silhouettes reside in apparently original painted frames. The frames have been varnished within the last few decades, covering the expected craquelere which shows to a greater extent because of the varnish. Electa's frame measures 4 3/4" x 5 5/8". John's measures 5" x 6". It is interesting that the frames do not match. The differing frames and the somewhat different inscriptions (both obviously written by the same hand) leaves the instance of their silhouette cutting to the imagination. Perhaps they went to seek their profiles from the itinerant artist, Warner, separately. Perhaps they met at the room rented by the itinerant Warner, fell in love, and married 2 years later. I love puzzles and this creates a wonderful one for us to contemplate! The paper of both silhouettes is stained as shown in the photos. Someone tried to spruce the pieces up with a little homemade restoration in the manner of powder placed on the background paper. I have brushed most of the powder away, but that accounts for the more yellow tint to the color of Electa's collar and John's shirt front (which were not powdered) compared to the background paper. The glass is full of beautiful bubbles and irregularities. The lines you see in Electa's silhouette running from the upper right corner down into the bust-line and the two parallel lines also running through the bust may be scratches in the glass, but having studied them with a loupe, I believe they are irregularities caused by rolling the molten glass. The artist, Orson C. Warner was born in 1800 in Chester, Connecticut and active circa late 1820s at least in the states of Connecticut and New Hampshire. This classically American "married" pair of silhouettes come with the genealogical research folder discussed above and an opportunity to research a previously undiscovered silhouettist. (#4244) Sale Pending Please see the Silhouettist Biographies page for more information about Orson C. Warner


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