E. J. Perry | |
|---|---|
 E. J. Perry in 1920 | |
| Born | February 11, 1880 |
| Died | February 2, 1946 (aged 65) |
| Style | Silhouette |
Essaias James Perry (February 11, 1880 – February 2, 1946),[1] or more commonly E. J. Perry, was an early-twentieth-century silhouette artist based in New York City. His decades-long activity was mostly associated with the city's Luna Park and Dreamland amusement parks at Coney Island, however it also included private resorts in Florida, and at least two known cultural expositions around the United States.[2][1] He was an African American originally from Kershaw County, South Carolina, and mainly lived and worked in the city's Black neighborhoods of San Juan Hill and Harlem. He did a number of silhouette portraits of eminent people, including the writer H. P. Lovecraft, which appears on the memorial plaque for that author in Providence, Rhode Island,[2][1] as well as the composer J. Rosamond Johnson.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Baptiste, Kaara; Washington, Eric K. (May 20, 2016). "Oral History Archive / Eric K. Washington: Historian delves into the life of E.J. Perry, African-American silhouette artist at Luna Park". Coney Island History Project. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c Washington, Eric K. (December 17, 2013). "E.J. Perry, African-American Silhouette Cutter of America's Leisure Circuit". The Gotham Center for New York City History. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021.