24.00 USD
In Ida Fuller, nee Pinckney, the well known Belle Epoque "interpretive" dancer, we have a very clear example of the competitive twists and turns that sometimes occurred between the stage performers of the Belle Epoque era.
Ida Fuller became widely known for her "skirt" dancing, or "serpentine" dancing. This was a variety of dance which was developed by the famous dancer, choreographer, and inventor, Loie Fuller, a remarkable woman whose name became, in many ways, synonymous with Art Nouveau and the Belle Epoque.
Volumes could be (and have been), written about La Loie, or Lo-Lo, as she was sometimes affectionately called. The style of dance she introduced to the world was much copied and imitated. Apparently scores of women claimed a close relationship, even using the last name of Fuller and claiming to be her sister. Most of these claims were illegitimate, but not Ida's.
Not so much information can be found regarding Ida Fuller. She was born Ida Pinckney, in Forest City Iowa in 1867. In biographical articles concerning Loie Fuller, Ida is often dismissed as a mere imitator, a pretender to Loie's own unique art form, the serpentine dance, and it's sometimes suggested that Ida's "claims" that she was a relation of Loie's, were untrue.
That Ida was a latecomer, who made use of Loie's already developed style to work out her own routines, is almost certain. To dismiss her as a mere imitator though, is probably not entirely fair.
We did a fair amount of research on Loie and Ida. In fact, Ida Pinckney married Frank Rodney Fuller, Loie's elder brother, so she was a member of the family, at least by marriage.
Frank was an electrician with extensive knowledge of Loie's lighting effects, as he was reputed to have been involved in her earliest successes with her dance routines.
Additionally, the "Fire Dance," a routine for which Loie herself became very well known, and to whom its invention is generally credited, was, according to accounts written by contemporaries of these ladies, actually an invention not of Loie's, but of Ida's, who performed the routine widely, both in Europe, and in the United States. Apparently Ida eventually needed to go to court on a number of occasions in order to see her patents on her fire dance upheld.
We don't even want to imagine the difficulties between Loie Frank and Ida that probably arose during those times, but despite the controversies, our researches have led us to believe it's only fair to give Ida her due as an artiste in her own right.
This is a magnificent image by Georg Gerlach, circa 1905/10, of Ida Fuller in which she seems to be a goddess scattering clouds across the heavens! Lovely :)
Minor wear to edges and corners. Please examine our high res scans for detail.
The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully-insured, first class shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will not charge for postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.
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