Table of contents:
- Maud Adams
- Cleo de Merode
- Ethel Warwick
- Carolina Otero, or Beautiful Otero
- Evelyn Nesbit
- Lily Elsie
- Lina Cavalieri
- Marie Doro
- Mary Pickford
- Genevieve Lantelme
Video: Socialites, actresses and brothel dwellers: Women who were considered the standard of beauty 100 years ago
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Each generation of people creates its own beauty canons. In the first half of the 20th century, thanks to the advent of accessible photography and cinema, new standards of female attractiveness began to form. Since that time, the media began to create and disseminate stereotyped ideas about what is beautiful and what is not. Therefore, old photographs of actresses, singers and courtesans are all the more valuable because they keep the memory of that femininity and beauty that were not imposed on people from blue screens.
Maud Adams
Young Maud's mother was an actress, and the girl made her stage debut at the age of 9 months. At the age of 16, she performed on Broadway with dizzying success, marking the beginning of her career. An incredibly feminine and fragile actress acted in male roles several times in her life and created a real sensation. The most striking such experience was the Rooster at Chauntecleer.
Cleo de Merode
French dancer from a very old aristocratic family. In addition to her dancing talent, she was distinguished by a rare beauty. Her portraits were painted by Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec and Boldini. The sculpture "Dancer" by Alexandre Falgier, for which Cleo became a model, caused a scandal in society. According to the magazine "Illustration", she became the beauty queen of 1896. One of her ardent admirers was the Belgian king Leopold II.
Ethel Warwick
British actress. In her youth, Ethel dreamed of becoming an artist and studied painting in London. Since there was not enough money for her studies, she began to earn money as a model. Gradually, her beauty and grace made the girl one of the most famous models, and she got into the theater.
Carolina Otero, or Beautiful Otero
The French singer, dancer and courtesan began her career in taverns and brothels in Spain and France. However, by the age of 20 "La Belle Otero" toured all over Europe and performed on the best stages in the world. By the way, she also visited Russia, where Nicholas II joined her admirers. He was not the first monarch on this list - the talented artist was admired by William II, King Leopold II of Belgium and King Alphonse XIII of Spain. Throughout her life, Caroline suffered from a passion for gambling. In her old age, she lived on an allowance that was paid to her by the Monte Carlo casino in memory of the millions that the Belle Époque star had lost here before.
Evelyn Nesbit
American actress and one of the most famous models in New York at the beginning of the 20th century. The striking beauty of the girl from an early age attracted artists to her. Thanks to her work as a model, she was able to help her family escape from dire poverty. Having moved to New York at the age of 16, she quickly became one of the most sought-after models. She tried herself both in the corps de ballet and as a vaudeville performer. However, it remained in history precisely as a muse that inspired many famous artists and photographers.
Lily Elsie
The popular English singer and actress became famous as a child, performing in vaudeville. Later she became a real star of operettas and musicals. Lily is considered one of the most photographed women in the Edwardian era.
Lina Cavalieri
The popularity of this star of the last century can be the envy of any modern singers. Her beautiful soprano has conquered the best stages in Europe. For many years the opera diva lived in Russia, studied bel canto technique from Russian teachers. Her patron, Prince Alexander Baryatinsky, asked Emperor Nicholas II for permission to marry Lina Cavalieri, but was refused. He did not dare to disobey the highest will, since a marriage with a "café singer with an illegitimate seven-year-old son" would put an end to his career.
Marie Doro
The American actress, world famous for silent films, began her career on Broadway. She has worked with top directors and has starred in many famous Hollywood productions. At the end of her life, Marie began to behave like a real recluse - she hid from acquaintances and paid attention only to her spiritual life.
Mary Pickford
During her lifetime, this woman became a real legend of silent cinema. In addition to her artistic talent, she proved to be a good businessman, becoming a co-founder of the United Artists film company. Pickford starred in approximately 250 films and became one of the first actresses to receive an Academy Award.
Genevieve Lantelme
The future socialite and style icon was born in a French brothel. She was considered one of the most beautiful and fortunate women of her era. Having gone from the mistress of an influential banker to the wife of a wealthy businessman, she very successfully began her acting career, was a model for several fashion houses. However, it all ended in an instant. At 24, at the zenith of fame, Genevieve passed away, falling out of the window of her yacht at night. The secret of her death has not yet been revealed.
One of the brightest silent film stars, Mary Pickford, was called "divine doll" and "honorary colonel." Read on, how a silent movie star became a national symbol
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