The Book of the Dance

Boston: International Publishers, 1920. Hardcover. G- (Some nicks in binding, with several small portions missing along top front edge; flyleaves are heavily tanned, which pages less so as you work your way in; illus. are clean.). Brown cloth, gilt letters and decoration on front cover, 228 pp., BW & color illus. German-born American photographer Arnold Genthe (1869-1942) shares here photographs he has taken of dancers. "My object was not to make a book of personalities," he says. "I merely wanted to show some of the phases of modern dance tendencies that could be recorded in a pictorially interesting manner. This, therefore, is meant to be just a picture book, permanently recording something of the fugitive charm of rhythmic motion, significant gesture and brilliant color which the dance has once more brought into our lives." Nearly all are of individual women. Why not depict ballroom dancing couples? "That will have to wait until women can have dancing partners attired in other costumes than the straight, stiff, dismal black of the present day." (foreword) Ah. Good choice. Here we see dancers from the Isadora Duncan School, Maud Allan, Ruth St. Denis and her School, Lady Constance Stewart-Richardson, Lillian Emerson, Loie Fuller Dancer, The Morgan Dancers, Spanish Dancers, The Noyes School, Classic Dancers, Anna Pavlowa, The Biyar School, and Eclectic Dancers.