Annabelle Moore (1878 – 1961) was an American dancer and actress who was quite popular in her youth. She appeared in at least nine films beween 1894 and 1897. The films were dance films and included “A Mermaid Dance”, “Butterfly Dance” and “Serpentine Dance”.
The sale of her films was further boosted in December 1896 when it was revealed that she had been approached to appear naked at a private dinner party at Sherry’s Restaurant – It is even said she introduced eroticism in film.
In 1907 Annabelle starred as the Gibson Bathing Girl in the first of the Ziegfeld Follies.
In 1910 she married Edward James Buchan. He died in 1958 and Annabelle died penniless in Chicago in 1961. In her obituary in the New York Times it was said Annabelle:
“was the symbol of beauty in her day. She was billed as ‘the original Gibson Girl’ because of her striking resemblance to the Charles Dana Gibson portrait.”
Annabelle had a similar appearance to the Gibson Girl. But as far as Gibson modeling his idealization of the perfect woman on Annabelle, there is little evidence that he did (source).
Annabelle Moore, 1900s via
Annabelle Moore, 1908 via
Annabelle Butterfly Dance (1894)
FROM THE BYGONE 