Loie Fuller, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This trade card by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. features Loie Fuller adorned with winged ornamentation, evoking potent symbolism. Wings, those ancient emblems of transcendence and freedom, echo in Fuller’s performance where she manipulated fabric to create ethereal, butterfly-like forms. We see echoes of Hermes, the fleet-footed messenger of the gods, and even ancient depictions of winged victories, such as Nike of Samothrace. In those classical renderings, wings symbolized divine swiftness and triumph. But here, in Fuller’s modern guise, wings take on a new life. They speak not of gods but of artifice, of the transformative power of performance to momentarily lift us from our mundane existence. Consider how the psychological impact of such imagery – the yearning for escape, for beauty – persists through ages. Loie Fuller, with her winged headdress, becomes a conduit for this shared human desire, a potent force engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. And so, the symbol evolves, flies, and lands anew.