She was an indecently rich aristocrat. She could have a fairy-tale life. But she preferred to shock and was addicted to adrenaline. Her bold photographs circulated in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. See for yourself the postcards that prove that she didn't have any complexes ...
Twenty-year-old Clara Ward was still trying to pretend to be a polite person ... Through Nadar's lens, around 1895 (source:public domain).
Clara Ward was born in 1873 in Detroit as the daughter of a fabulously wealthy shipping and timber industry tycoon . A beautiful girl, aware of her qualities and - what is no less important - having a huge fortune, aroused the interest of numerous admirers.
When Prince Joseph de Caraman-Chimay, son of the Belgian foreign minister, asked her to marry her, she did not hesitate for long. At 17, she entered a relationship with a man almost twice her age , not very handsome and terribly indebted ... but a full-blooded aristocrat.
Clara Ward in a photo from the 1890s (source:public domain).
The young Princess Caraman-Chimay spent her time traveling. Thanks to her own money and the influence of Joseph's family, she was able to stay not only in her husband's numerous estates, but also at the Belgian court, the Riviera, in Paris and wherever something interesting was happening.
She gave birth to two children. However, this did not induce her to devote herself to a quiet family life. She preferred to change lovers like gloves , with the tacit consent of the husband. She also discovered that the life of the duchess was not all that fun, and that flesh-and-blood aristocrats treated her like a leper.
Clara Ward in a romantic-sentimental pose on a postcard with a space for an autograph (source:public domain).
As she herself claimed, the worst for her was the interest of the King of the Belgians, Leopold II. Stunned by the beauty of Duchess Caraman-Chimay, the ruler took care of her so much that he neglected the other guests. Soon her appearance in the room resulted in a sudden turning away or contemptuous glances.
Since she was not welcome in Belgium, she went with her husband to Paris, where she plunged into the whirlwind of social life without hesitation. Soon was recognized as the wildest American woman on this side of the ocean. And then it got even worse…
Rigó Jancsi and Clara Ward, boldly surpassing him, in a photo entitled "The Triumph of a Woman" from 1905 (source:public domain).
In November 1896, during an evening at one of Paris' elite nightclubs, a slightly bored Clara heard a deep wail of a violin. A gypsy violinist produced them from his instrument. A short man with black hair and a mustache and shiny black eyes attracted the attention of the Duchess . With reciprocity.
Rigó Jancsi - because that was his name - ran away with Princess Caraman-Chimay into the blue distance ten days later, causing a huge scandal. Clara no longer returned to the high society, but the fame of the aristocratic name continued behind her. Especially since was not the last time she made headlines .
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Who wouldn't want such help during the harvest season? Clara Ward in a provocative flesh-colored costume on a postcard from around 1900.
Two months after Clara escaped, Joseph divorced her. During the famous trial, even the Duchess's lawyer described her as a fiery and unbridled steed about a wild, uncouth and eccentric nature . The prince won the case - he received custody of the children and even alimony from his ex-wife.
Clara herself - it seems - was pleased with the sentence. During the divorce case, she only said: I'm done with it. I wanted to be free. Now, at least, I'm out of this social world. He doesn't want me and I don't want him - so we're even .
Clara and her second husband loved to shock…
The young lovers first traveled to the Hungarian mountains, to the home of Rigó, then returned to Paris. There, the duchess shocked passersby by riding a bicycle around the city, in addition in pantaloons low lowered - like a man's . As if that was not enough, she smoked cigarettes in public .
Clara liked the artistic lifestyle so much that decided to earn a living by creating stage happenings . From April 1897, she performed on the stages of the Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergère in very tight, flesh-colored outfits. She was always accompanied by Rigó, who played and danced around her like magic.
Hello, I'm lost, who's gonna save me? Clara on a German postcard from the very beginning of the 20th century.
Clara called her art poses plastiques . And she managed to shock even decadent Paris with her "plastic poses" ! Her first performance was canceled after the police found out that the Prince's friends were going to invade equipped with live rabbits, rotten eggs and other dangerous props .
Although the French capital did not hide its indignation, in other parts of Europe people flocked to see the "almost naked" duchess . The success of her tour was further boosted by the sale of postcards with Clara and her nude costume in the lead roles.
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As in the head, so on the head? Photo of Clara in a skinny jumpsuit from a French album, around 1905 (possibly by Léopold-Emile Reutlinger, public domain).
This postcard was by far the most distinctive feature of Clara's work. A duchess in a flesh-colored outfit, with a rich necklace and a crown resembling a structure made of hangers and light bulbs. Plus, her dark, long and wavy hair that falls over her full hips…
Clara was admired by the fans of poses plastiques . And it was a very measurable admiration, because she was able to earn 6.8 thousand dollars in a month, i.e. about 650 thousand modern zlotys. Berlin was especially fond of her, where she made huge profits.
And another postcard with beautiful Clara in the idyllic natural circumstances ...
Clara's popularity also had its downside. In August 1897, at the request of his ex-husband, the police raided some postcard shops . Lots of photos of the duchess were seized then, as stated in the press, in all possible costumes .
Rumor had it that Emperor William II himself banned the sale of obscene photos of Clara because her charms distracted him . It is difficult to say how much truth there is, but the fact is that you could be arrested for distributing postcards with a naked princess.
A romantic postcard with Princess Caraman-Chimay, dated around 1902 (source:public domain).
In 1898, after Rigó divorced, he married his companion, the duchess. The passionate couple showed great affection for each other . And the fabulously rich Clara could literally shower her beloved with gifts:violins, jewels, and even ... a menagerie of baby elephants, lion cubs and tiger cubs
Clara's unlimited expenses finally caught the attention of her family, who, horrified by the rate at which her ancestral fortune was shrinking, cut her off from money. She only received a salary, a quarter of which went to alimony. Despite this, did not stop wasting money, making more and more debts .
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Presentation of the charms of the duchess in the next installment.
Cutting off the family fortune wasn't the only trouble for Clara. Even the "promiscuous" crowd rejected her, and her performance at the Folies Bergère in 1902 was spoiled . In addition, there were disagreements with Rigó, which ended with the breakup of the relationship.
The Duchess found a way out of this, running away from her second husband with ... a railway worker whom she quickly married. The handsome Neapolitan did not stay by Clara for long. He left her when he claimed she began an affair with the butler. Since she could not be alone for long, soon got married for the fourth time .
The duchess tempts with a cleavage, pretending to read a book. The postcard was created around 1905 (source:public domain).
How intensely she lived, she faded so quickly. On December 9, 1916, at the age of 43, Clara Ward passed away due to pneumonia. Although she squandered her current money, the fortune inherited from her father was enough to generously give them to her children, relatives, friends and the first three husbands.
She defied conventions all her life. As her obituary from the Detroit News said: she was a slave to her desires ; died as an outcast, a 43-year-old old woman, when she should have lived her best years .
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The text of the gallery is based on the information contained in the book by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie entitled "Naughty princesses" (Horizon Mark 2016).