[The Dolly Sisters] 1920s

This photograph of the Dolly Sisters, by Walery, shows the pair in full costume. The medium of photography is so cool here; this isn’t just any picture. There’s something about the grain and the way the light hits those costumes that just pulls you in. I can imagine Walery setting up the shot, fussing over the lighting, wanting to capture the essence of these performers. The Dolly Sisters with their matching feathered headpieces—talk about a statement! And their dresses, all glitter and shimmer. Each little sparkle seems to echo the energy they must have brought to the stage. The composition, too: the symmetry of the twins creates a formal arrangement offset by the flamboyance of the feathers, the sequins. It’s a study in contrasts, this image. It reminds me of other artists working around the same time, trying to capture movement, and light, and energy in new ways. Photography did that back then. It made you see things differently.