Silhouettes are a portrait of a community. The original silhouettes lining The Peale’s walls were created by artist Lauren Muney using only paper and scissors. There is no drawing in advance, no tracing a shadow, no use of mechanical devices. 

Baltimore has a long tradition of silhouettes, including being cut at Rembrandt Peale’s museum which opened in this building on August 15, 1814. Muney presents contemporary people in a classic style that also honors their individuality. Each sitter’s dignity and beauty are represented and valued. Our community members are a part of history. They surround you. They welcome you. Before photography, silhouettes were the most accessible and popular form of portraits — affordable to anyone with a few pennies to spare. Moses Williams, a former enslaved man, cut silhouettes in the original Philadelphia Peale Museum. 

Baltimore artist and participatory-history specialist Lauren Muney hand-cut and installed hundreds of silhouette portraits of Baltimore City residents at The Peale. These faces encircle several rooms on the first floor, giving visitors, residents and guests the opportunity to feel the Baltimore ‘family’ all around them. Some stories include audio narratives that can be scanned using the free Smartify app.