Leona Dare (1855-1922) 1869 - 1874

This photograph by Jeremiah Gurney captures Leona Dare, a performer, adorned in a costume emblazoned with stars and stripes. Symbols of American patriotism, these motifs were especially charged in the mid-19th century, a period of intense national identity formation and, soon after, Civil War. Dare holds a coiled rope, an instrument of control and constraint, also reminiscent of ancient depictions of Fortuna, goddess of fate, who holds a rudder or a cornucopia, symbols of control. The rope, however, carries a more ambiguous weight. In ancient rituals, binding with ropes was associated with sacrifice and purification, a duality that mirrors Dare’s provocative yet contained pose. Consider how such symbols endure, transformed yet recognizable. The star, from ancient celestial maps to modern national flags, evokes both guidance and aspiration, a psychological beacon across millennia. This image, therefore, is not just a portrait but a layered narrative of cultural memory. The cyclical nature of symbols allows them to continually resurface, adapting to new eras while carrying echoes of their origins.