The art of silhouette cutting became popular in the 17th Century when most people could not afford the luxury of having a portrait professionally painted. Silhouette portraits, or 'shade' portraits, as they became known, were usually cut by traveling artists for about one cent. This inexpensive art form allowed even the poorest of people to preserve their image and pass it down to future generations.

Many of the silhouette portraits that were cut more than two hundred years ago are still around. Some works are hanging in museums in Europe and the United States. Many more are in private collections. Silhouettes are believed to have entered American culture in the late 1700's.

The term silhouette was coined after the French Minister of Finance, Etienne de Silhouette, who was noted for his taxation of the poor, and also for his creating paper portrait images of friends and family. This rare art form, which began to seriously decline with the invention of the camera and film, is becoming popular again and many modern day enthusiasts are having silhouettes cut when possible. It is believed that there are less than seventy-five silhouettists in the world. Most reside in Great Britain and Europe, with approximately twenty residing in the United States. As far as he knows, Jerry is the only silhouettist residing in Arizona.