Gaby Deslys Shoe Pincushion
New York: c. 1911-14
Brass-plated metal with inset pincushion
4 inches high; 7 inches long
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Gaby Deslys Broadway Memorabilia
Shoe-form Pincushion
Shoe-form Pincushion
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Broadway memorabilia shoe pincushion commemorating the 75th performance of Gaby Deslys (1881-1920) at the Winter Garden Theater on Broadway in New York City, where she performed in three musical shows between 1911 and 1914. It is unclear whether this souvenir was made in honor of her 75th performance at the theater (which would have been in 1911 or 1912), or her 75th performance in a particular play. Insofar as she came to fame as a dancer, it is apparently a dancing shoe.
Gaby Deslys was a French dancer, actress and sex symbol, born Marie-Elsie-Gabrielle Caire in Marseille. By 1902 she was working as a dancer in Paris. There she became involved in a romantic liaison with King Manuel II of Portugal. A popular performer combining perky blonde looks, an hourglass figure, dancing ability, and a charmingly naughty persona, she was the subject of drawing by the prominent designer Erte and numerous photographs in dancing costumes. Deslys made her London debut in 1906, and arrived in America by 1911, becoming known for the “Gaby Glide,” a ragtime dance. Between 1911 and 1915 she appeared in at least five Broadway musical revues and extravaganzas, three of which were at the Winter Garden Theatre: The Revue of Revues (1911), Vera Violetta (1911-12) and The Honeymoon Express (1913-14). She also performed in The Belle of Bond Street, and Stop! Look! Listen! While in the U.S., she performed in an American-style striptease, which she also introduced to the European stage. During World War I, she worked as a spy for the French. She died of illness in Paris at age 39.
Information on bottom: 75th Performance of Gaby Deslys at the N.Y. Winter Garden.
Serial number on bottom: JB 1026
References:
“Gaby Deslys.” Internet Broadway Database. 2001-2006. http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=37922 (10 March 2006).
Nally, W.B. “Scandalous Ladies of the French Stage: Gaby Deslys.”Tallulahs.com. 2003. http://tallulahs.com/gaby.html (10 March 2006).