Sunday, October 25, 2009

We Can Dance If We Want To


Well, I'm still not completely recovered from swine flu. Today is Day 11, and I still have a hacking cough plus a slight fever at times. Nonetheless, I've gotten to the point where I have to resume normal functioning, otherwise I will be driven crazy from lack of stimulation. So, I've decided to share this over-sized photograph from the turn-of-the-century. It's an interesting photo, because it's a group shot in which the women are posed and dressed rather fancifully. I'm not sure as to the purpose of this group shot. Could it have been a harvest festival? A rural "dance" of some kind? I'm not sure, but whatever the case, I enjoy esoteric images with ambiguous subject matter. And I find this to be a really pretty shot. NOTE: I actually just looked at the scan closely and found faint words that say "Banner Dance." So, it is a dance, but a few questions remain. What is a "banner dance"? Was this a common event, and if so, what customs surrounded it? Is "Banner" the name of a town rather than a type of dance?
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5 comments:

  1. erinOctober 25, 2009 at 2:56 PM

    I'm not trying to sound like a 'dick', but they're a homely bunch, aren't they?

    And the women in the middle looks ill and very thin.

    Could 'Banner Dance' be a dancing studio or dance hall? And the woman in the middle the owner or patroness? Hmmm..

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  2. Dr. Monkey Von MonkersteinOctober 25, 2009 at 4:08 PM

    Get better soon. I miss you regularly posting. I've posted some vintage pics I bought on both my main blogs. Check them out when you feel better,

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  3. AstridOctober 25, 2009 at 4:14 PM

    Wow, Erin, I never noticed that but you are totally right. I don't think even makeup would help out that bunch. Perhaps the woman in the middle is an instructor? It's hard to say.

    Dr. Monkey-- Thanks for the get well wishes! I hate the lack of productivity that comes with sickness but I think I'm finally back to regular posting (let's hope). Anyway, I'll check out your posts when I start getting my energy back.

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  4. JOctober 28, 2009 at 11:33 PM

    Could 'Banner Dance' be a dancing studio or dance hall? And the woman in the middle the owner or patroness? Hmmm..

    Or...maybe it's a night off from ...bordello-work. Or like factory/garment district workers. They're sort of...skanky as a whole, howevah.

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  5. AstridOctober 29, 2009 at 12:27 AM

    I didn't think of that. They might even be "dime a dance" gals.

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