Spelende kinderen op het strand, Coney Island, New York 1879 - 1910

Enno Nesemann captured this photograph, "High Kickers on the Beach, Coney Island", as part of a stereoscopic view. These images offered an early form of virtual reality in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Coney Island, a famed amusement park, served as a social space where societal norms could be playfully bent. Here, we see young women flouting Victorian modesty in their beach attire. These garments, while more revealing than everyday wear, still hint at the era's constraints, covering much of the body. The woman with the megaphone seems to be directing or orchestrating the "high kickers." Is she a teacher, or perhaps just a friend? This image is more than a candid snapshot; it’s a carefully arranged performance of youthful exuberance. It subtly pushes against the boundaries of gendered expectations, depicting women in a moment of carefree physical expression. This tension between freedom and constraint, joy and social expectation, is what makes this seemingly simple photograph so evocative.