Photograph of ladies walking in the Avenue des Acacias, J. Lartigue

Photograph of ladies walking in the Avenue des Acacias, Paris
Jacques-Henri Lartigue (1894-1986)
1911, Paris
Gelatine silver print
Museum no. CIRC.536-1971

A scene such a this showing fashionably dressed women out walking with their dogs, or with friends, was a favourite subject for the photographer Lartigue. Many of his photographs from this period document high fashion - the women he chose to photograph were the wealthy and well-to-do, dressed in the latest fashions, wearing furs and extravagant hats trimmed with feathers. These women are also wearing the fashionable 'hobble' skirt - a long skirt that cinches at the lower leg and ankle. A stroll in a public park was a favourite pastime for the leisured classes, and women especially took it as an opportunity to display their wealth and taste.