If you have any suggestions for historical videos, please leave them below! Apologies for the sound issues. If you want to support this channel, you can find me at www.buymeacoffee.com/indiascarlett
Doña Gracia Mendes Nasi, aka La Señora. Widow at 27, head of her family business, one of the richest philanthropists of her day, inspiring leader at the center of Ottoman Empire's politics in the patriarchal world of Reinassance Europe. All of this while disguising her Judaism in a Spain that wanted all Jews to be converted, even developing an escape network that saved hundreds of Conversos like her from the Inquisition.
This Woman was ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!! She was AWESOME! I LOVE THAT SHE DEFENDED HERSELF IN A BOOK AND USED THE LIES TO HELP PROPEL HER STARDOM!!! SHE WAS A ROCK STAR BEFORE ROCKSTARS!!!
In today's age of every minor celebrity and IG influencer getting shoved down our throats, why do I just now hear about this woman?? Hers is a life truly worth remembering.
It was...and I much appreciated, that it was read...calmly, in a well understood voice, taking her time & NOT speaking SO FAST to the point of annoyance. I HATE...when listening to someone read they read their scrip Fast....that it stresses me trying to keep up. It was also Well Scripted!
That was very interesting indeed. As a dancer myself, with a fairly extensive familiarity with ballet culture and its imagery, both historic and current, I gained quite a bit of insight and context from this single biography. I was already quite familiar with some of the photographs of Cleo depicting particular characters. I was not aware however, that her image had transcended the niche world of ballet, nor that there were so many images of her in other contexts. There is also something interesting about her hair. In ballet culture, this odd hairstyle has become associated in the public mind with ballet in general, when in fact it is only ever worn in one particular ballet, Giselle. While this hairstyle was fashionable at the time of Giselle’s premier (1841), it was no longer in fashion, on or off the ballet stage prior to Cleo’s career. I am not aware of a direct connection between her and the ballet Giselle, yet for some reason Giselle is the only ballet in the classical repertoire in which purists insist that this particular hairstyle be worn. Nearly every other ballet from the same period also featured this style, but no other ballet from this or any other period is given the same attention on this detail. The oddity of it has always struck me. I’m starting to wonder if Cleo had anything to do with it. It was around the same time as Cleo’s career that ballet began opening up to the masses. It makes sense to me how her fame helped solidify the template of the ballerina in the public imagination. I’m wondering if her fame also had an impact on how we depict a certain historic work from the repertoire.
@@indiascarlett please do. Let me know if you learn anything relevant. It’s interesting to note that during the early period of photography (1860s-80s), dancers aren’t shown wearing the historic hairstyle, rather one contemporary to time of the photograph. Then sometime in the early 20th century, the now mandatory “over the ears” style was reinstated as the standard. The timelines of this shift and Cleo’s career are roughly the same.
Thank you for this interesting footnote. I've always wondered what it would feel like to dance as I've had a life long appreciation of classical ballet. Thanks again!
She aged well. Even in her senior years, she had beautiful eyes! Despite the inevitable skin aging, you couldn't help focus on those large and beautiful eyes. Also, she seemed to overcome her life experiences, that relationship where her lover left her for a younger woman. By then, she was a strong woman that was well equipped to move on. Bravo to her!
Yes men can be so fickle I was left for someone 10 years younger than me, by a man 11 years older than me so 21years her senior I had the last laugh she got really fat and he got really ill
Thank you for this wonderfully well researched bio. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Cleo life was fascinating and the Belle Epoque was a momentous time be be alive in! Another interesting life is Marquesa Luisa Casati. 😊
I much appreciated, that it was read...calmly, in a well understood voice, taking her time & NOT speaking SO FAST to the point of annoyance. I HATE...when listening to someone read their script Fast....that it stresses me trying to keep up. It was also Well Scripted!
I started collecting her postcards, without knowing much about her. She navigated through troubled waters but knew how to steer her boat well. I love her even more after this video. Thanks.
Very lovely. I was struck numerous times with the intent in her expression, specifically her eyes, as her career progressed and she became more savvy to media and publicity. Your use of the photos in the sequences detailing her response to the "lessons" is great; these pics during your narration now show many with her gaze straight-on, direct, and with a slight smile of acknowledgement. I'm sure those pics also show the development of her modelling skills, but I also see a deliberate choice to embrace fame on her terms. She seemed to becoming quite comfortable with her crown; I'm grateful for the Vogue pics that show she remained so. Great job on the video!
The nude statue seems to be made of blending a traditional bust (one with a neck, shoulders rounded down to the upper chest, but no shoulders), with the body cast of a different model. Looking at photos of her in sleeveless dresses with low necks the statue does not match her body. The arms and hands are entirely different and and they don’t match up. The waist is also proportionately different in relation to hips and chest than hers. Even the legs are different. The shoulders of the nude (adult) statue look like they were blended onto a bust and they’re not at all like hers or even the shoulders of a dancer, they’re held entirely too high, the musculature is wrong. As a dancer holds her shoulders down at all times, they develop differently, with less definition and this elongates the neck. As for her ears, it was considered modest to cover ones ears. Notice the same hairstyles were common during the 1800’s, especially around the time of the Civil War of the US.
New subscriber...... just stumbled upon your page and was riveted from beginning to the end Being an avid lover of history I’ll be sure look out for your next upload 🙂
What a remarkable woman, the reporters are never satisfied. They want to drag the performers down. To what end ? So they move on to the next person. I was not familiar with this lady, thank you sharing a bit about her life.
A well done video. I had poster @16:00 and never knew who it was. One production note: Your audio is quiet, consider increasing your audio gain, or audio compression. Keep up the good work.
Around 4:43 it is referred to the "typical tight laced waist" and although Cléo was, by her position in society and du to her fame, probably using tight lacing, it is not the standard! It never was. There has been made an increasingly lot of effort by quite a few youtubers (such as Bernadette Banner) over the last years and I suggest you watch them. Like in the epic blue ballgown in the 2005 Cinderella movie shows, a tiny wais is more times than not an optical illusion, where a smooth look and flattering proportions are rather achieved through padding up than cinching in. tl;dr tight lacing is no standard, it is a well crafted optical illusion
I love Bernadettes videos! Yes, this is all true, when I was looking at photos of Cleo and her contemporaries (many of whom would have edited their photos) they all have tiny waists in the photos. In real life however, I'm sure they would have not looked so extreme. I was referring more to the typical look in photos but forgot to elaborate, so thank you for this informative comment that will hopefully clear up any misunderstandings on the subject!
@@janetpitts7302 On the contrary. It was good to know the waistline look was ''faked.'' Otherwise, the human internal organs could not have withstood such pressure and compression. Some women had lower ribs removed surgically to achieve this look.
Sounds like she may have been the first “super model”. I always find it interesting when women as beautiful as Cleo seem to have not such great luck in love, or perhaps she just didn’t want to give up her freedom.
Like many, who study the personalities of Fin de Siecle Paris, I've been infatuated by her for many years.. Photos, sure, they're everywhere. But not any real bio info. Bless you for providing this nectar. Peace out.
Wonderful video. I have a new interest. I wonder if any of the old postcards of her are for sale on eBay. Another interesting woman I would love to have presented by you is Montespan.
Thank you for the video! Really beautiful and informative, soothing and exciting at the same time. If only you could do something about the volume of the intro..It is extremely loud in comparison to the main part.
Although there were plenty of nasty references about dancers becoming courtesans and dependent on men, it was mostly out of necessity. Cleo had family money and background and so didn't need to prostitute her talents. This is a story as old as time, young girl and old man. Ugh.
Seems like the media hasn't changed very much. Female celebrities still go through this nonsense of being put on a pedestal and then being torn down. :( I think I'll track down her memoir and give it a read - I'm a ballet teacher and it would be interesting just from the aspect of her performing career.
Cleo looks just like me!We got the same eyebrows, same nose, same lips, same hair, we're like twins!It makes me happy that many people think she is beautiful, I also think she is super beautiful! I really admire Cleo :)
Petit rats is still a thing. It doesn’t carry the connotations described here, it just refers to junior dancers, “little mice” scurrying about. It’s an endearing term. Although they were vulnerable to exploitation at the time, and often poor as church mice, the term itself was not a degradation, with sexual connotation, or as calling someone a rat.
Yes, it was interesting for me while researching this video because I always thought of the term in a modern sense. I never knew much about the darker side to ballet in the past.
Very interesting video, I had never heard of her before. I love this kind of video but must admit I find it a challenge to concentrate with the background music competing for my attention. Sadly most of these type of channels do the same thing. I just want to focus on what you are saying. I can't always have subtitles on as I sometimes have these on when I'm doing things, but appreciate your hard work
Thank you for your feedback! Sorry about the audio, I've tried to fix it but can't without reuploading the video. Something definitely went wrong in editing as the intro and background weren't nearly as loud when I was editing it. Double checking everything in future haha
This is the only video I’ve heard where the background music didn’t annoy me. I’m thinking it’s because the video and your voice was so extremely well done💞
My 18 yr. old granddaughter looks amazingly like this woman in her youth; to the point that it surprised me. Well, I guess I know what she's going to look like when she gets old and I will have long passed...lol.
I was told once that it's important in a picture that includes the ocean always to have the horizon horizontal. I think it's right. Your opening scenes made me a little bit seasick.
Her beauty is indescribable. She would put the rich and famous to shame today…mostly because nowadays they all like the same with their plastic surgeries.
If you have any suggestions for historical videos, please leave them below!
Apologies for the sound issues.
If you want to support this channel, you can find me at www.buymeacoffee.com/indiascarlett
Maybe Coccinelle? She was the first major trans star of France, and lead quite an interesting life.
Doña Gracia Mendes Nasi, aka La Señora.
Widow at 27, head of her family business, one of the richest philanthropists of her day, inspiring leader at the center of Ottoman Empire's politics in the patriarchal world of Reinassance Europe.
All of this while disguising her Judaism in a Spain that wanted all Jews to be converted, even developing an escape network that saved hundreds of Conversos like her from the Inquisition.
Aubrey Munson, the first supermodel of the early 1900's and named "Miss Manhattan" for the many statues found of her in that area.
Isabella Stewart Gardener
Elsie de Wolfe is fascinating. Also, Jenny Lind, the singer.
She really was a rare beauty for any age. It’s sad what the rumors and press did to her, but she remained strong.
This Woman was ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!! She was AWESOME! I LOVE THAT SHE DEFENDED HERSELF IN A BOOK AND USED THE LIES TO HELP PROPEL HER STARDOM!!! SHE WAS A ROCK STAR BEFORE ROCKSTARS!!!
What a beauty! Even her last photos at the end of her life, are stunning!
I've never heard of her before this, but her life was certainly remarkable. What an interesting video.
Neither had I...but also found it quite interesting.
In today's age of every minor celebrity and IG influencer getting shoved down our throats, why do I just now hear about this woman?? Hers is a life truly worth remembering.
The one good thing about social media is being exposed to unexpected channels like this one
@peacenow42 But then I would miss out on this delightful find, now wouldn't I??
@peacenow42 Cuz I wasn't informed in a timely fashion. Kinda obvious, innit?
@Sunny bob Quackers Gee thanks, but next time post sooner. Don't let me wait all those years, you hear.
Because she was from thr 1800s
What an amazing woman. Yes, beautiful and savvy. A sweet summary of her life was lovely; thank you.
This is very well done. Your voice is so calming, thank you!
Right? Her voice would be great for a guided sleep or anxiety release meditation ❤️❤️❤️.... Or to read Wikipedia in it's entirety 😊❤️💯
It was...and I much appreciated, that it was read...calmly, in a well understood voice, taking her time & NOT speaking SO FAST to the point of annoyance. I HATE...when listening to someone read they read their scrip Fast....that it stresses me trying to keep up. It was also Well Scripted!
That was very interesting indeed.
As a dancer myself, with a fairly extensive familiarity with ballet culture and its imagery, both historic and current, I gained quite a bit of insight and context from this single biography. I was already quite familiar with some of the photographs of Cleo depicting particular characters. I was not aware however, that her image had transcended the niche world of ballet, nor that there were so many images of her in other contexts.
There is also something interesting about her hair. In ballet culture, this odd hairstyle has become associated in the public mind with ballet in general, when in fact it is only ever worn in one particular ballet, Giselle. While this hairstyle was fashionable at the time of Giselle’s premier (1841), it was no longer in fashion, on or off the ballet stage prior to Cleo’s career. I am not aware of a direct connection between her and the ballet Giselle, yet for some reason Giselle is the only ballet in the classical repertoire in which purists insist that this particular hairstyle be worn. Nearly every other ballet from the same period also featured this style, but no other ballet from this or any other period is given the same attention on this detail. The oddity of it has always struck me. I’m starting to wonder if Cleo had anything to do with it. It was around the same time as Cleo’s career that ballet began opening up to the masses. It makes sense to me how her fame helped solidify the template of the ballerina in the public imagination. I’m wondering if her fame also had an impact on how we depict a certain historic work from the repertoire.
This is such an interesting comment! Giselle is one of my favourite ballets but I never noticed this! I'll have to look into that connection!
@@indiascarlett please do. Let me know if you learn anything relevant. It’s interesting to note that during the early period of photography (1860s-80s), dancers aren’t shown wearing the historic hairstyle, rather one contemporary to time of the photograph. Then sometime in the early 20th century, the now mandatory “over the ears” style was reinstated as the standard. The timelines of this shift and Cleo’s career are roughly the same.
Thank you for this interesting footnote. I've always wondered what it would feel like to dance as I've had a life long appreciation of classical ballet. Thanks again!
Thank you for this video. I used to collect antique postcards, so I've known about Cleo de Merode for a while. I'm glad to see a video on her life.
I have several postcards of her, too. I was happy to see this video.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, welldone
She aged well. Even in her senior years, she had beautiful eyes! Despite the inevitable skin aging, you couldn't help focus on those large and beautiful eyes. Also, she seemed to overcome her life experiences, that relationship where her lover left her for a younger woman. By then, she was a strong woman that was well equipped to move on. Bravo to her!
Yes men can be so fickle I was left for someone 10 years younger than me, by a man 11 years older than me so 21years her senior I had the last laugh she got really fat and he got really ill
Subbed. Yours is the first profile of hers with as much biographic, cultural context I've heard no where else. Brava!
This was a wonderful video, from the music, to the pictures and to your beautiful voice. 🙂
Mummy would be proud!
Thank you for this wonderfully well researched bio. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Cleo life was fascinating and the Belle Epoque was a momentous time be be alive in!
Another interesting life is Marquesa Luisa Casati.
😊
I much appreciated, that it was read...calmly, in a well understood voice, taking her time & NOT speaking SO FAST to the point of annoyance. I HATE...when listening to someone read their script Fast....that it stresses me trying to keep up. It was also Well Scripted!
I look forward to listening to more future postings. Great Job.
I started collecting her postcards, without knowing much about her. She navigated through troubled waters but knew how to steer her boat well. I love her even more after this video. Thanks.
This is a beautiful video, thank you.
I simply love your video style, truly refreshing and creative.
Very lovely. I was struck numerous times with the intent in her expression, specifically her eyes, as her career progressed and she became more savvy to media and publicity. Your use of the photos in the sequences detailing her response to the "lessons" is great; these pics during your narration now show many with her gaze straight-on, direct, and with a slight smile of acknowledgement. I'm sure those pics also show the development of her modelling skills, but I also see a deliberate choice to embrace fame on her terms. She seemed to becoming quite comfortable with her crown; I'm grateful for the Vogue pics that show she remained so. Great job on the video!
Brava!!! And thank you for introducing me to such an icon.
You deserve many more views than this, your video is phenomenal!
Really enjoyed this. The story of Cleo's life, your presentation, your voice. Very nice! Thank you!
The nude statue seems to be made of blending a traditional bust (one with a neck, shoulders rounded down to the upper chest, but no shoulders), with the body cast of a different model. Looking at photos of her in sleeveless dresses with low necks the statue does not match her body. The arms and hands are entirely different and and they don’t match up. The waist is also proportionately different in relation to hips and chest than hers. Even the legs are different.
The shoulders of the nude (adult) statue look like they were blended onto a bust and they’re not at all like hers or even the shoulders of a dancer, they’re held entirely too high, the musculature is wrong. As a dancer holds her shoulders down at all times, they develop differently, with less definition and this elongates the neck.
As for her ears, it was considered modest to cover ones ears. Notice the same hairstyles were common during the 1800’s, especially around the time of the Civil War of the US.
As a fellow Cleopatra, her story is amazing.
Beautiful presentation with in depth detail and stunning images..thank you.
I'd love to see her costumes in color. Must have been rich/beautiful. I'm really enjoying your videos. Thank you!
Beautifully done. Thank you.
It was a pleasure listening at your excellently fluent English and watching Cléo de Merode being brought to life again.
underrated channel. you have such a nice voice .
Fascinating. Tis bliss the Girl lived long and well, and well deserved.
What a wonderfully done video about the life of Cleo. Subscribed!💕
Thank you for this revealing memorial of an extraordinary woman.
I am wildly impressed by your video. You're destined to have a million or more subscribers.
Liane de Pougy? Romaine Brooks and Nathalie Barney? Le belle Otero? So many stories...enjoyed this immensely. Well done!
This was very interesting. I had never heard of her before. She really was very beautiful.
Fascinating and well-told. Loved it. Tnx
New subscriber...... just stumbled upon your page and was riveted from beginning to the end
Being an avid lover of history I’ll be sure look out for your next upload 🙂
Beautifully done. I am now a subscriber.
Wow! Completely love this, voice included. Thank you for making such an informative and sonorous bio. Love love love
This video is fascinating. And Cleo is a compelling person!
So well done! Happy to find another great history channel.
She is absolutely beautiful!! Her eyes have an innocence about them that is truly heartwarming 💐😊💕
What a remarkable woman, the reporters are never satisfied. They want to drag the performers down. To what end ? So they move on to the next person. I was not familiar with this lady, thank you sharing a bit about her life.
Thank you for introducing me to this interesting woman. Subscribed. X
I know someday soon I will be able to brag that I was your 679th subscriber. Excellent, lovely video. I can’t wait to see what you do next.
The press has always been toxic. Great video.
Leopold was Queen Victoria’s and Prince Albert’s uncle.
Victoria’s mother and Albert’s father were King Leopold’s brother and sister!
Thank you! I thoroughly enjoyed this video.
Great job! Well done!
I really enjoyed your video! I hope to hear more from you, and I become a subscriber. I love learning about lesser talked about people in history.
Very interesting and well presented. Thank you.
I heard a little about her while learning about T Lautrec and Paris of that time, interesting story😊
Beautiful video and your voice is super serene & pleasant!
My goodness…I’d never heard of her and she clearly should be known..Thnak you for this video..Xx
Loved this it was a joy and so interesting please keep going.x
A well done video. I had poster @16:00 and never knew who it was.
One production note: Your audio is quiet, consider increasing your audio gain, or audio compression.
Keep up the good work.
Around 4:43 it is referred to the "typical tight laced waist" and although Cléo was, by her position in society and du to her fame, probably using tight lacing, it is not the standard!
It never was. There has been made an increasingly lot of effort by quite a few youtubers (such as Bernadette Banner) over the last years and I suggest you watch them.
Like in the epic blue ballgown in the 2005 Cinderella movie shows, a tiny wais is more times than not an optical illusion, where a smooth look and flattering proportions are rather achieved through padding up than cinching in.
tl;dr tight lacing is no standard, it is a well crafted optical illusion
I love Bernadettes videos! Yes, this is all true, when I was looking at photos of Cleo and her contemporaries (many of whom would have edited their photos) they all have tiny waists in the photos. In real life however, I'm sure they would have not looked so extreme. I was referring more to the typical look in photos but forgot to elaborate, so thank you for this informative comment that will hopefully clear up any misunderstandings on the subject!
Nit picker!!
@@janetpitts7302 On the contrary. It was good to know the waistline look was ''faked.'' Otherwise, the human internal organs could not have withstood such pressure and compression. Some women had lower ribs removed surgically to achieve this look.
This was fascinating and I am more culturally and historically aware for having watched , your voice is immaculate and excellently paced
Brilliant could listen to you all day , thanks
Sounds like she may have been the first “super model”. I always find it interesting when women as beautiful as Cleo seem to have not such great luck in love, or perhaps she just didn’t want to give up her freedom.
And to think her appearance was not enhanced by cosmetics or, even worse, plastic surgery. I'll bet she never even wore false eyelashes.
True men are not interested in you, just how you look on their arm
Like many, who study the personalities of Fin de Siecle Paris, I've been infatuated by her for many years.. Photos, sure, they're everywhere. But not any real bio info. Bless you for providing this nectar. Peace out.
Great vid! 😊😶
Wonderful video. I have a new interest. I wonder if any of the old postcards of her are for sale on eBay. Another interesting woman I would love to have presented by you is Montespan.
before, i only knew her for her beauty. thank you for telling her story.
Really good stuff. Thank you
And thus tomorrow, today’s celebrities will be forgotten too.
Loved this❤
Thank you for the video! Really beautiful and informative, soothing and exciting at the same time. If only you could do something about the volume of the intro..It is extremely loud in comparison to the main part.
Very enjoyable !
Although there were plenty of nasty references about dancers becoming courtesans and dependent on men, it was mostly out of necessity. Cleo had family money and background and so didn't need to prostitute her talents. This is a story as old as time, young girl and old man. Ugh.
What an awesome woman with all that women had to put up with in those days she was an awesome character I bet her book is very interesting.
I've seen this lady's photos before, but didn't know that she was a dancer. It's so funny how the French press has not changed in centuries.
Enjoyed this story a very beautiful woman thank you
Seems like the media hasn't changed very much. Female celebrities still go through this nonsense of being put on a pedestal and then being torn down. :(
I think I'll track down her memoir and give it a read - I'm a ballet teacher and it would be interesting just from the aspect of her performing career.
Cleo looks just like me!We got the same eyebrows, same nose, same lips, same hair, we're like twins!It makes me happy that many people think she is beautiful, I also think she is super beautiful! I really admire Cleo :)
This just showed up in my feed and I commend you for the quality of your storytelling and the images used. Very interesting story thank you.
Very well done.
Beautiful video and subject!
Petit rats is still a thing. It doesn’t carry the connotations described here, it just refers to junior dancers, “little mice” scurrying about. It’s an endearing term. Although they were vulnerable to exploitation at the time, and often poor as church mice, the term itself was not a degradation, with sexual connotation, or as calling someone a rat.
Yes, it was interesting for me while researching this video because I always thought of the term in a modern sense. I never knew much about the darker side to ballet in the past.
the voice/ music balance spoils this.
Very interesting video, I had never heard of her before. I love this kind of video but must admit I find it a challenge to concentrate with the background music competing for my attention. Sadly most of these type of channels do the same thing. I just want to focus on what you are saying. I can't always have subtitles on as I sometimes have these on when I'm doing things, but appreciate your hard work
Thank you for your feedback! Sorry about the audio, I've tried to fix it but can't without reuploading the video. Something definitely went wrong in editing as the intro and background weren't nearly as loud when I was editing it. Double checking everything in future haha
This is the only video I’ve heard where the background music didn’t annoy me. I’m thinking it’s because the video and your voice was so extremely well done💞
Wonderful. Never heard of her. Thank you for telling us about her. ( although you might get some advice on your french pronunciation)
Good job for for also mentioning the horrendous things Leopald of Belgoim was doing in the Congo
My 18 yr. old granddaughter looks amazingly like this woman in her youth; to the point that it surprised me. Well, I guess I know what she's going to look like when she gets old and I will have long passed...lol.
Nice video, thank you
I have always liked Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and interested in Ada Lovelace. Clara Barton, or Elizabeth Blackwell, maybe Josephine Cochrane.
She made lemonade out of lemons.
Refused to be a victim.
She owned herself.
Good for her.
Nice job.
very well done.
Very interesting
I was told once that it's important in a picture that includes the ocean always to have the horizon horizontal. I think it's right. Your opening scenes made me a little bit seasick.
So many of the legendary beauties of the past are unattractive by today's standards. This woman would be a stunner even today
That's just what the world needs, more men giving us their unsolicited opinions about our looks.
Please enable subtitles for those that need them. I’d like to watch but I can’t hear a word.
Beautiful woman, Claudette is who I am speaking about btw but the TH-camr is also pretty
Her beauty is indescribable. She would put the rich and famous to shame today…mostly because nowadays they all like the same with their plastic surgeries.
Small note: "Petit Rat" means "Little Rat," not mouse. "Mouse" would be "souris."
My great grandmother would have been around in the late 1890s seems such a long time ago yet only 3 generations
Maybe Les Grandes Horizontales: Liane de Pugy, La Belle Otero, and Émilienne D’Alençon.