The bohemian life. In the 1910’s and 1920’s, excess and fun, decadence and pleasure, the quest for riches and fame sculpted the taste of the wealthy, powerful, and famous. During this era, actresses and dancing ladies posed for portraits, advertisements for plays, movies, fashion, and beauty products. They slunk across screen magazines, pouting languidly with the perfect seductive slink of their bodies, echoed in the glittering drape of assiut shawls. This shawl would send encoded messages that could easily read by a sophisticated consumer of cultural iconography. Assiut represented luxury, travel, and the bohemian lifestyle, inspiring the viewer to fantasize about the qualities sensual pleasure, feel the echoes of exotic locales, and above all, recognize the status and privilege. During this era, If a sitter was unprepared, many high-end professional photographers of the day would have an assiut shawl in their collection of props to pull out and artfully drape about the shoulders of their sitters. Here are photos of four working artists of this era, a small sampling of this type of image which often appeared in fan magazines, on trading or post cards, and as large posters for theater lobbies. Enjoy! ~ Davina
Carmel Meyers – French Opera Singer
Paulina Stark – American Modern Dancer
Ann Forest – Danish Silent Film Actress
Gabrielle Ray – English Theatrical Actress/Dancer/Singer