Curtsey Collection (#2)

Dancer Bowing, c. 1895 (red wax)
FIT308396 Dancer Bowing, c.1895 (red wax) by Degas, Edgar (1834-1917); height: 24.7 cm; Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, UK; eFitzwilliam Museum; French, out of copyright

Pink Dancer (pastel)
LEF221048 Pink Dancer (pastel) by Degas, Edgar (1834-1917); 71x39 cm; Private Collection; Photo eLefevre Fine Art Ltd. London; French, out of copyright

The dame made a curtsey, the dog made a bow, the dame said "your servant"
1122808 The dame made a curtsey, the dog made a bow, the dame said " your servant", the dog said-" bow-wow", 1930s (colour litho) by Adams

The Fandango at the Theatre San Fernando, Seville (engraving)
1109047 The Fandango at the Theatre San Fernando, Seville (engraving) by Dore, Gustave (1832-83) (after); 27x19 cm; New York Public Library

Minuet (colour litho)
3099082 Minuet (colour litho) by Leloir, Maurice (1853-1940); Private Collection; (add.info.: Minuet. Illustration from Le Figaro Illustre, 1903.); © Look and Learn

Sur La Scene, 1879-1881 (pastel on paper)
825242 Sur La Scene, 1879-1881 (pastel on paper) by Degas, Edgar (1834-1917); 58.5x44.8 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Sur La Scene. Edgar Degas (1834-1917). Pastel on paper. Painted 1879-1881

The Bow of the Star, c. 1880 (gouache on paper)
NUL167172 The Bow of the Star, c.1880 (gouache on paper) by Degas, Edgar (1834-1917); 61x42.5 cm; Private Collection; French, out of copyright

The Dancing Master, engraved by Jacques Philippe Le Bas (1707-83), 1745 (engraving)
DEC84581 The Dancing Master, engraved by Jacques Philippe Le Bas (1707-83), 1745 (engraving) by Canot, Philippe (d.1783) (after); 38x28 cm; Gerald Coke Handel Collection, Foundling Museum

Plate 200. Courtseying, Kissing Hand and Turning Around, 1885 (collotype on paper)
3950463 Plate 200.Courtseying, Kissing Hand and Turning Around, 1885 (collotype on paper) by Muybridge, Eadweard (1830-1904); 21.1x37.2 cm; Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover

The New Step, a Drawing-Room Rehearsal (engraving)
1605872 The New Step, a Drawing-Room Rehearsal (engraving) by Brewtnall, Edward Frederick (1846-1902) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The New Step, a Drawing-Room Rehearsal)

I Had a Little Nut Tree (colour litho)
979647 I Had a Little Nut Tree (colour litho) by Crane, Walter (1845-1915); Private Collection; (add.info.: I Had a Little Nut Tree)

Dancer with a Bouquet, before 1923 (pastel on prepared wove wood-pulp paper)
877091 Dancer with a Bouquet, before 1923 (pastel on prepared wove wood-pulp paper) by Degas, Edgar (1834-1917) (imitator of); 51.2x65.9 cm; Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown

Illustration for A Colonel of The Empire, by Emily Lawless (engraving)
1100065 Illustration for A Colonel of The Empire, by Emily Lawless (engraving) by Woodville, Richard Caton II (1856-1927) (after); Private Collection; (add.info)

The Rose (engraving)
982604 The Rose (engraving) by English School, (18th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Rose.); Look and Learn / Valerie Jackson Harris Collection; English, out of copyright

The Runaway Match, 1877. Creator: William Holbrook Beard
The Runaway Match, 1877

A regal curtsey for Queen Elizabeth II from 11-year-old Sheila Murray at Stockport Station. 16th May 1968

Six year old Mandy Kenyon of Stretford performs a curtsey after presenting a bouquet to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the Palace Theatre, Manchester. 21st June 1977

65-year-old John Roy who is a direct descendant of Rob Roy and the Landlord of " The Cock" a public house in Beazley end, near Braintree, Essex, has the longest moustache in Europe

Susan Moroney aged three with her teddy bear at her ballet class July 1960

The Bow, 1880s / 1890s. Creator: Edgar Degas
The Bow, 1880s/1890s

Plate 7, from the Fans of the Period series (N7) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands, 1889

DEBS CURTSEYING 1934
Debutante pupils of Mrs Ruby Peeler practice their curtseys ready for presentation at court. They have practice trains pinned on the back of their frocks. Date: 1934

Our Flat, a farcical comedy, Palace Theatre, Newark
Our Flat, a farcical comedy, at the Palace Theatre, Newark. circa 1900s

Children curtseying to Duchess of York - Hospital at Welwyn
A lovely photograph showing a group of children curtseying to Duchess of York as she arrived to open the new Hospital at Welwyn, Hertfordshire on 24th July, 1934

Curtsy To Her King, 1937
Curtsy To Her King, 1936 (1937). Debutant presented to Edward VIII at Royal Garden Party, Buckingham Palace, 1936. From Coronation Souvenir Book 1937, edited by Gordon Beckles

Mother Hubbard nursery rhyme
The dame made a curtsey ?. Date: circa 1770

Court presentation, the convolutions of the train
As a society lady is presented at court, the logistical difficulty of curtseying to the Queen while simultaneously trying to manage her huge train, is captured by an ILN artist

Queen Elizabeth II meets Maria Callas
Opera singer Maria Meneghini Callas makes her curtsey as she meets Queen Elizabeth II after singing a scene from Bellinis opera, I Puritani

Thumbelina curtsies to the Tiresome Old Mole
An unhappy Thumbelina curtsies to the Tiresome Old Mole, who falls in love with her and wants her to live with him underground

Gentleman dressed as a lady
Mr Lawrence White - dressed as a woman - shot in Birmingham, with a fan and in fine 1920s attire

Nursery Rhymes - Dame made a curtsey
Dame made a curtsey - Dame ready to curtsey and dog to bow in Kitchen. Part of Box 52 Boswell collection. Nursery Rhymes. Date: circa 1890s

Suzanne Lenglen and Queen Mary, Wimbledon 1926
French tennis star Suzanne Lenglen pictured meeting Queen Mary on the Centre Court at Wimbledon in 1926. Lenglen had won the ladies singles championship the previous year. Date: 1926

Queen Charlottes Ball, 1937
Gleaming in serried ranks: debutantes parading on the ballroom floor during Queen Charlottes Ball before the traditional cutting of the cake

Queen Charlottes Ball, 1934
The ceremony of cutting the cake performed by HRH Princess Arthur of Connaught (formerly Princess Alexandra of Fife), at Queen Charlottes Ball

Debutante queuing in the Mall by Rex Whistler
A shy debutante, accompanied by an imperious and matronly chaperone, sits in her chauffeur-driven car in the Mall, waiting to gain entrance to Buckingham Palace where she will be presented at court

Royals tour of the Western Isles - HM The Queen Elizabeth II speaks to Lady Macdonald and daughter the Hon. Janet (aged 10) at Kyliaki Jetty during the Royal Visit to the Western Isles

Royal Tour of New Zealand H. M The Queen with Governor General Sir Willoughby Norrie
Royal Tour of New Zealand H.M The Queen with Governor General Sir Willoughby Norrie during a garden party in her honour in Auckland, New Zealand. 28 December 1953

Silhouette of an 18th century dance
Silhouette of couples at an 18th century dance. 1717

Drawing Room of Queen Victoria. Ceremony of Presentation, c1841. Artist: Henry Melville
Drawing Room of Queen Victoria. Ceremony of Presentation, c1841. From London Interiors with their Costumes & Ceremonies from Drawings made by permission of the Public Offices

My Friend Mr White, c1870-1920. Artist: Jan Van Beers
My Friend Mr White, c1870-1920. Presented with the spring number of pick-me-up

Queen Victoria greets guests in a drawing-room in Buckingham Palace, late 19th century, (1900). Artist: Everard Hopkins
Queen Victoria greets guests in a drawing-room in Buckingham Palace, late 19th century, (1900). A print from The Life and Times of Queen Victoria, by Robert Wilson, Volume IV, Cassell and Company

West London mayors and mayoresses presented to the king, Kensington, 1935, (1936)
West London mayors and mayoresses presented to King George V and Queen Mary, Kensington, Silver Jubilee, 1935. Illustration from George V and Edward VIII, A Royal Souvenir, by FGH Salusbury

Duchess of Montpensier, 1864. Artist: Ary Scheffer
Duchess of Montpensier, 1864

Le Debut by Kenneth Crouch
A ballerina poses with flowers in her dressing room while a vignette below shows her falling to a curtsey among flowers thrown onto the stage by admirers. Date: 1920

Silhouette of girls dancing
Charming silhouette illustration of girls dancing in a row. 1899

Jeanne Lanvin costume designs in theatre tableau
Jeanne Lanvin costume designs after Winterhalter, set at the time of the Second Empire, in a tableau at the Theatre Pigalle, Paris. 1929

Fraulein Hollander - Dancer. Date: circa1905

Sphere front cover - Debutantes practise the curtsey
Front cover of The Sphere featuring a photograph of debutantes practising their curtsey for the forthcoming courts in May of 1933 at Miss Muriel Simmons School in Regent Street. Date: 1933

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"Curtsey: A Timeless Gesture of Elegance and Respect" In the world of grace and poise, the art of curtseying has always held a special place. From Shirley Temple's adorable birthday curtseys to Fergie's respectful gesture towards the Queen during the Royal Wedding in 1986, this timeless act continues to captivate hearts. Dating back to as early as 1895, when May Milton gracefully performed a curtsey immortalized by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's brushstrokes, it became evident that this gesture transcends time and cultures. Even young Shirley Temple, America's beloved child star with her charming pig tails and checkered dress, knew how to curtsy like a true lady. Madame Vacani, renowned for teaching proper etiquette through dance, ensured that every girl learned the intricacies of a perfect curtsey. The First Court of 1922 witnessed countless debutantes mastering this elegant move before their grand entrance into society. The supreme moment arrived when Julie Andrews graced us with her enchanting performance in "The Sound of Music, " where she effortlessly curtsied with utmost finesse. It was then we realized that even on-screen characters could exude such regal charm. Fashion also played its part in enhancing the beauty of a curtsey. In 1935 Harvey Nichols presented an exquisite court dress designed specifically for these graceful gestures – an ensemble fit for royalty itself. Let us not forget Mother Hubbard's nursery rhyme; it taught us from childhood about respect and humility embodied within a simple curtsy. And who can ignore the convolutions of train-laden court presentations? Each step carefully choreographed so as not to disturb one's majestic attire while executing a flawless curtsey. Whether you find yourself inspired by historical moments or enchanted by modern-day elegance, remember that behind every successful woman lies an impeccable curtsy – an embodiment of gracefulness and reverence that never goes out of style.