Figure 1 – Possibly the earliest (1849) ballet photograph from the George Eastman House and in the public domain because of the age of the image.

The discussion of the 1892 premier of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker,” got me wondering about the earliest dance photography. This (Figure 1) appears to be a daguerreotype in the George Eastman House collections from 1849 that unfortunately is by an unknown photographer of an unknown dancer. What is remarkable about the piece is that the dancer is shown in a relatively simple position.  This is remarkable because of the long exposure times required at the time.

Figure 1 is of a contemporary image (~ 1850) a beautiful full plate Daguerreotype portrait of a Spanish dancer complete with castanets. The original is in the collection of the Photo Library IPCE (Institute of Cultural Heritage of Spain) in Madrid. There seems to be a huge temperol disparity between the two images.  The second seems almost modern in its expression.  The turning of the neck creates a marveklous sense of muscular motion, and the coloration is gorgeous in its subtlety.

Figure 2 – Spanish Dancer with castenets (~1850). From the IPCE – Institute of Cultural Heritage of Spain- and in the public domain because of its age.