Isabel Wachenheimer tijdens een etentje met onbekende collega's van Isabel tijdens haar periode bij KLM, 1955, Israël Possibly 1955

These photographs, circa 1955, capture Isabel Wachenheimer, during her time with KLM in Israel, surrounded by colleagues. The recurring gesture of raised arms in celebration, immortalized in these stills, immediately draws my attention. The raised arm, a universal expression of joy and triumph, echoes through millennia. Consider its presence in ancient Roman victory processions or Renaissance depictions of ecstatic saints. Yet, here, within the mundane setting of a company dinner, this gesture takes on a different hue. It's a celebration of camaraderie, a momentary transcendence of the everyday. We find this gesture across cultures, from religious ceremonies to secular celebrations. Its persistence suggests a deeply ingrained human impulse to physically manifest feelings of elation. It reminds us of the human need to connect and express joy together, a theme that continues to evolve with each shared moment.