David Rosenthal: evaluation

Transcript context

…Fascinating. This is super important for Thierry and Hermes for two reasons. (1) In the old medieval streets in Paris, not that many people were going up and down them. Not that many people were going to see the nobility in their carriages and all their finery. Now you've got the Champs-Élysées, the Grand Boulevard, everything about the gallantry of Paris that we know today, is all on display now. This becomes really important for showing off for signifying your wealth, your status. The other related thing here that happens with Napoleon and Napoleon III is that status is no longer just about what you were born into. In the old system, the nobility, the royalty, it was like you're born noble or you're not. It's independent of how much money you have, what you do, or what influence you have. Under Napoleon, he brought in this modern idea that you could shift your class. He was essentially a nobody, and he became the emperor of Europe. That'll completely upset the mindset of people. All this is happening, this is the best thing that could ever happen to Thierry. He's the best artisan, most exclusive crafter of carriageway of equipage. The city is being transformed so that this can all be displayed prominently. Social stratifications are becoming more blurry. People can spend money for the first time to buy status. Great for business. These are the disruption waves that enabled him to create a business.…

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