Congress is in Session

The performer in the middle is Gabriele Ray, playing Lady Dorothy Congress in The Little Cherub.  She is flanked by her sisters Lady Agnes Congress and Lady Rosa Congress.  I'm not sure if this production involved a cancan, but Miss Ray was certainly capable of performing one:

http://classiccancan.blogspot.com/2013/02/miss-gabrielle-ray.html

(Speaking of Congress and horsewhips, there is a place such whips could be beneficially applied to the current membership of the US Congress.)

This photo is from the blog of Grumpy Old Fart:

http://summertime75.wordpress.com/2013/01/17/lily-elsie-rotary-3261-e/

For more about Miss Ray, click on the link at the right of the above page for access to a Blog devoted to her.

Miss Gabrielle Ray

Gabrielle Ray was a star of the Edwardian music hall and considered one of the most beautiful women of her time.  Her Wikipedia biography states,

"In 1907, Ray played Frou Frou in Edwardes' adaptation of The Merry Widow, which ran for 778 performances at Daly's Theatre. Ray's dance number, complete with handstands and high kicks, all performed on a table at Maxim's held head high by four men, was a show stopper."

For the full biography see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabrielle_Ray

The original postings of these photos can be found at:

http://maudelynn.tumblr.com/post/42516860511/miss-gabrielle-ray

http://www.ananasamiami.com/2011/07/gabrielle-ray-and-plays.html#!/2011/07/gabrielle-ray-and-plays.html

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lat44mxdXj1qzdzano1_500.jpg

http://throughframes.blogspot.com/2012/12/talbot-hughes.html

And for many more you can Google her name.