Dapper Dan Store Figure 1937

Here we see Helen E. Gilman’s watercolor of a ‘Dapper Dan Store Figure.’ The figure’s candy-striped pants and cane, coupled with the top hat, evoke associations with festivity and spectacle. These candy stripe designs have appeared in various forms across cultures. Think of the Harlequin, or even medieval jesters; such patterns have long been employed to signify the playful disruption of social norms. The cane as a symbol of authority and status further complicates the image, as it is subverted in many Vaudeville acts. Such imagery has been passed down through history, and in Gilman’s work, resurfaces with a curious duality. There is a tension between the celebratory and the subversive, which engages our subconscious recognition of archetypes. The collective memory of such symbols engages viewers on a deep, psychological level. The figure’s emotionless expression only heightens the tension between the known and the mysterious. These symbols create a powerful cycle, constantly resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings.