98 Years Ago: The Tragic Death of Isadora Duncan in a Car Accident
This page is translated from the original post "Il y a 98 ans, la mort tragique d’Isadora Duncan en voiture" in French.
- 14/09/2025 11:12
On September 14, 1927, the history of the automobile tragically intersected with the arts, claiming Isadora Duncan.
In Nice, American dancer Isadora Duncan died in a famous accident, an unexpected consequence of a fashion detail and the technical characteristics of cars of the time.
That evening, Isadora Duncan got into an Amilcar, a small French car known for its agility and lightness. Sitting in the passenger seat, she sported a long red silk scarf, an accessory that defined her almost as much as her flamboyant style. But as the car started, the fabric became caught in the spokes of the rear wheel. In an instant, she was pulled back and strangled. The artist passed away at 50, a victim of a car that became, unwittingly, an actor in the tragedy.
This accident highlights a often forgotten aspect of history: the dangers of cars in the 1920s. The bodies were still very open, wheels were rarely protected by enclosing fenders, and passengers were largely unaware of the risks. Seat belts did not exist, and any floating object near a moving mechanism could turn into a deadly trap. The Duncan episode illustrates both the innocence of an era and the necessity of the progress that would follow.
For it is precisely from such tragedies that the automobile has transformed. Manufacturers gradually integrated protection features, from simple wheel fairings to innovations in active and passive safety. The accident of Isadora Duncan, widely commented on in the international press, contributed to raising public awareness of the dangers associated with automobile traffic.
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Nearly a century later, this drama remains a symbol. It serves as a reminder that the automobile, an object of fascination and freedom, has long been a source of unsuspected risks. The story of Isadora Duncan is not limited to this brutal end, but her fate is inseparable from that September 14, 1927, when a car and a piece of fabric were enough to end the career of a pioneer of modern dance.
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