author
Jerome A. Barhydt
1849–1922
Best known for a practical late-19th-century guide to crayon portraiture, this little-known writer shared studio-tested advice for photographers and amateur artists. His work captures a moment when photography and hand-finished portrait art closely overlapped.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Jerome A. Barhydt (1849–1922) is chiefly remembered for Crayon Portraiture, a manual on making crayon portraits on photographic enlargements. Surviving editions describe him as the author of an article on crayon portraiture in Appleton's Annual Cyclopedia in 1890, and the book was issued in a revised and enlarged edition in 1892.
In the book's preface, Barhydt says it grew out of many years of studio experience, practical work, and teaching. The volume was written for photographers and amateur artists, offering step-by-step instruction on crayon work, transparent liquid water colors, and related finishing techniques.
Not much biographical detail is easy to confirm from widely available sources, so his published work remains the clearest window into his career. What stands out is his hands-on, instructional approach: he wrote to help working artists learn a craft, solve everyday problems, and produce finished portraits with confidence.