{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1617608"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1617608/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MY1161/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MY1161/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021MY1161","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1617608","accessionNumber":"S.63-2021","objectType":"Photographic postcard","titles":[{"title":"Maud Allan","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Maud Allan (born Beulah Maud Durrant on 27 August 1873 in Toronto, Canada, and died 7 October 1956 in Los Angeles, USA) was a dancer who, from 1903, performed her own free style of movement to visualise music.   \n\r\nAs a performer Allan was most closely associated with the<i> Vision of Salomé</i>, which she first performed for an invited audience in Vienna in December 1906. Her comments on its source altered for specific audiences: on the Continent it was Oscar Wilde’s play; in the USA the Bible; while in England she insisted in interviews that ‘My Salome dance is not a reproduction of the dance given before Herod, but is the ‘Vision’ of Salome after it is over – a retrospection…’ Allan’s controversial costume for this dance was a bejewelled bra-like top, a transparent, ankle-length skirt, low cut on the hips, a pearl headdress and bare feet. In September 1907 Allan was invited to perform her <i>Vision of Salomé</i> for Edward VII at Marienbad which led to her being booked for the Palace Theatre, London. Initially engaged for two weeks from 6 March 1908, she was continuously on the bill until 23 October, when she sprained her ankle. Allan’s Salomé was in demand from audiences throughout Britain although in certain cities, including Manchester, the use of the head of John the Baptist was banned. Allan’s last Salomé appearance came in April 1918 at the Court Theatre, London, when Gruen had invited her to appear in Oscar Wilde’s play for the Independent Theatre Society. This club performance provoked Noel Pemberton Billing MP to denounce Allan in the <i>Vigilante</i> as a leader of ‘The Cult of the Clitoris’. By suing Allan provided the platform for Pemberton Billing’s campaign while her own career floundered.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Landscape image showing a woman as Salome, kneeling on a carpeted floor and recoiling from the head of John the Baptist in alarm. A studio backdrop of an Egyptian temple hangs in the background.\r\n\r\n","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Atelier Grünberger","id":"AUTH362025"},"association":{"text":"publishers","id":"AAT25574"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"photographic paper","id":"AAT14190"}],"techniques":[{"text":"photography","id":"AAT54225"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Photograph","categories":[{"text":"Dance","id":"THES252984"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2021MY1161"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES356629"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photographic postcards","id":"AAT192703"}],[{"text":"photographs","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Europe","id":"x28842"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1908","earliest":"1903-01-01","latest":"1912-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Gabrielle Enthoven Collection","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"11.24","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Photograph of Maud Allan as Salome, published by Atelier Grünberger, Prague, ca.1908","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.63-2021"],"accessionNumberNum":"63","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2021,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-17","recordCreationDate":"2021-05-10","availableToBook":true}}