P. Skeolan
An itinerant silhouettist working in the north of England, P. Skeolan is listed in British Silhouette Artists and their Work 1760-1860 Examples of his work inscribed Manchester or Liverpool are known.
In addition to cutting silhouettes, Skeolan was a talented watercolor portraitist who advertised later in his career as “Skeolan Miniature Painter Harrogate”. In this latter role Skeolan is known to have colored photographs.
At some point, likely circa 1860 or before, Skeolan took up the photographer’s trade, a relatively common transition for artisans trying to eke out a living in the fading silhouette business. Numerous photos from the 1860′s exist locating him in Cheltenham. In 1864 he made a memorial contribution to the Royal Photographic Society, who published it in volume 8 of their Photographic Journal, listing him as “P. Skeolan, gentleman, Cheltenham.
Reference note by p4A editorial staff; 2012.