Print of the Day: An Advertisement for Je Reviens by Worth, 1940

Advertisement
Addey, 1940
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Famed commercial artist Wilfrid R. Addey (1912-1999) worked for sixty years for a variety of top  London advertising firms, drawing ads for everything from beer to pin-up girl calendars.

This gouache drawing is one of four designs that Addey  created in 1940 for an advertisement for the perfume Je Reviens from Worth.  Addey played up the easily recognizable design of the perfume’s bottle.  He has placed the blue, round bottle in at the bottom center of the page with "Je Reviens by Worth" at the top centre of the composition.

Addey makes the bottle seem almost planetary as light radiates from the bottle in brilliant shades of light to dark blue which blend with merging the dark background.  This composition combines the ethereal quality of beauty as well as implies the gentle scent of the perfume as it radiates from the bottle.

Unusual Artifacts: A Pair of Perfume Flasks, c. 1671

Pair of Silver Gilt Flasks
French, 1671
Possibly by Louis Rousseau
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in Paris, circa 1671, this pair of silver-gilt, embossed flasks was doubtlessly part of an elaborate toilet service.  Such a suite would have been a very important status symbol in the late Seventeenth Century. These sorts of vanity services were traditionally given as wedding gifts, presented by a wealthy husband to his bride for use in her private boudoir. Toilet services typically included a mirror; boxes for ornaments, jewelry and cosmetics; and perfume bottles.

This pair of flasks—once  used to decoratively hold expensive cologne or perfume--was found when they were dug up in Parliament Hill Fields (between Hampstead and Highgate) in 1892.  The discovery was made by an inquisitive child in search of treasure.  He did fairly well, too.  Or, I should say his father did.  The boy’s pop sold them to the V&A for “a modest sum.”   

Each side of each flask has a slightly recessed panel which is cast and chased in bold relief with a botanical pattern.  They are sealed by a single screw stopper with floral scrolls and surmounted by a trefoil handle.  They are possibly the work of the celebrated Louis Rousseau who was known for his fashionable Seventeenth Century designs.  The bottoms of each are marked “LR” on either side of a baton within a laurel wreath.

Object of the Day: A Trade Card for Florida Water

Florida Water, an American Eau de Cologne, was introduced in 1808 by the New York City perfumer I. Murray who marketed the cologne as a light fragrance appropriate for use by both men and young ladies. The scent is citrus base with a dominant sweet orange aroma with added notes of lavender and clove. 

The bottle today.

In 1835, Mr. Murray was joined by David Trumbull Lanman and the Florida Water concern became known as “Murray & Lanman.” The company contends that their product still is made using the original 1808 formula, and that the current label is essentially the same artwork used in 1808 with only slight modifications.

Here’s a trade card from 1886 for Florida Water which I recently acquired with a large job lot of antique ephemera. It’s quite attractive, yes? The front shows a bottle of Florida Water being cooled in a clear lake. Upon its neck sits a handsome cockatoo who is framed by a luxurious background of palms, roses and exotic plants. All of this effectively puts one in mind of a cooling, fragrant product. 

As a fan, and daily user of Florida Water, I can attest that the marketing is essentially the same to this day. 

The reverse of the card reads:

MURRAY & LANMAN’S 

FLORIDA WATER 

The Universal Perfume

FOR THE TOILET, THE BATH and THE HANDKERCHIEF 

                   REPORT 

Professor Alexander Wassiliewitsch Poehl 

Analyzing Chemist for the Russian Gov- 

ernment, St. Petersburg: 

“Murray & Lanman’s FLORIDA WATER 

does not contain any integral parts 

which could be pernicious to health.” 

“The comparative investigation has 

shown that Murray & Lanman’s FLORIDA 

WATER possesses in a volatilized state 

a greater ability and power to purify 

the air than ‘Eau de Cologne;’ and in 

this respect Murray and Lanman’s FLORIDA 

WATER is far preferable to the well- 

Known Cologne Waters.” 

No. 6404 – Sept. 30th, 1886

Object of the Day: Ladies Perfumed Calendar, 1894

Click image to enlarge.

Nothing says, “Smellin’ Good” like a bird sitting on your shoulder. At least that’s what this young lady seems to think. She’s not the slighted bit concerned. I would be. I like birds. I feed birds. I even allow birds to make their homes in various odd places along the exterior of my house. However, I have to draw the line somewhere, and that moment comes when they want to sit on me. Nothing good can come of that. Still, this lass is not bothered, and I suppose I shouldn’t be either.

The young lady comes from the wonderful fictional Nineteenth Century world of cherubic advertising tots. She’s rosy-cheeked and scrofula free, and, she’s smart enough to have developed a skill—in this case, bird wrangling and flower picking. And, there’s the key. The flowers.

This is another Ladies Perfumed Calendar from our friendly Victorian chums at the Hoyt’s Perfume Company of Lowell, Mass. The folks at Hoyt’s sprayed their wares on all manner of trade cards and calendars which they had commissioned. This was actually a very good idea as it allowed a lady to keep the item in her reticule—thus making it smell better than the street—and, in the case of a calendar such as this one, it was a handy thing which reminded her of Hoyt’s every day. Plus, it had a pretty picture! Everyone wins!

This particular example, one of many in my collection of ephemera, comes to us from 1894. The calendar for the year IS printed on the back, but we can’t see it. All we can see is the back of the scrap book page to which this had been glued, likely in 1895 when the calendar was no longer useful.

As was usually the case, the clever people at Hoyt’s German Cologne also used this opportunity to hawk their dentifrice—Rubifoam For the Teeth. That just doesn’t sound too good to me. But, what do I know?

Unusual Artifacts: A Pair of Perfume Flasks, c. 1671

Pair of Silver Gilt Flasks
French, 1671
Possibly by Louis Rousseau
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in Paris, circa 1671, this pair of silver-gilt, embossed flasks was doubtlessly part of an elaborate toilet service.  Such a suite would have been a very important status symbol in the late Seventeenth Century. These sorts of vanity services were traditionally given as wedding gifts, presented by a wealthy husband to his bride for use in her private boudoir. Toilet services typically included a mirror; boxes for ornaments, jewelry and cosmetics; and perfume bottles.

This pair of flasks—once  used to decoratively hold expensive cologne or perfume--was found when they were dug up in Parliament Hill Fields (between Hampstead and Highgate) in 1892.  The discovery was made by an inquisitive child in search of treasure.  He did fairly well, too.  Or, I should say his father did.  The boy’s pop sold them to the V&A for “a modest sum.”   

Each side of each flask has a slightly recessed panel which is cast and chased in bold relief with a botanical pattern.  They are sealed by a single screw stopper with floral scrolls and surmounted by a trefoil handle.  They are possibly the work of the celebrated Louis Rousseau who was known for his fashionable Seventeenth Century designs.  The bottoms of each are marked “LR” on either side of a baton within a laurel wreath.

Object of the Day: Palmers Perfumes

Could this die-cut trade card be any more adorable? First of all, this is a perfect example of the richness of Victorian printing. The colors are amazing even after a century. It’s just so perfectly Victorian that I almost can’t stand it.

The card dates to 1904 and serves as an interesting counterpoint to the more overblown trade cards for Hoyt’s German Cologne. These cards were often large and printed on the reverse with calendars and other things deemed helpful to ladies. They were also scented. Meanwhile, the Palmers card is quiet and understated.

Let’s take a look at the reverse. While it’s understated in size and use, it still makes the same confident Victorian claims.

PALMER’S PERFUMES 

From 1847 to 1904 

For a Period of over FIFTY YEARS we have 

studied quality, the outcome if which has 

been the highest grade of goods produced 

either in this or any other country. 

SPECIAL ODORS 

Ariston, Garland of Roses, 

Garland of Violets, Fashion, 

Gem Violet, Frangipanni, 

American Carnation Pink, 

Apple Leaves, Our Jack, 

Violet Leaves, 

Rose Leaves, 

Violet Bloom, Red Clover, 

May Bloom, Rob Roy, 

Lilac Sweets. 

SOLON PALMER Perfumer, N.Y. 

FOR SALE BY DRUGGISTS ONLY 

ESTABLISHED 

FIFTY SEVEN YEARS 

AVOID CHEAP 

PERFUMES 

The last bit is good advice.

I wonder what Our Jack smells like.

Object of the Day: A Trade Card for Florida Water

Florida Water, an American Eau de Cologne, was introduced in 1808 by the New York City perfumer I. Murray who marketed the cologne as a light fragrance appropriate for use by both men and young ladies. The scent is citrus base with a dominant sweet orange aroma with added notes of lavender and clove. 

The bottle today.

In 1835, Mr. Murray was joined by David Trumbull Lanman and the Florida Water concern became known as “Murray & Lanman.” The company contends that their product still is made using the original 1808 formula, and that the current label is essentially the same artwork used in 1808 with only slight modifications.

Here’s a trade card from 1886 for Florida Water which I recently acquired with a large job lot of antique ephemera. It’s quite attractive, yes? The front shows a bottle of Florida Water being cooled in a clear lake. Upon its neck sits a handsome cockatoo who is framed by a luxurious background of palms, roses and exotic plants. All of this effectively puts one in mind of a cooling, fragrant product. Having recently seen a new bottle of Florida water for sale, I can attest that the marketing is essentially the same to this day. 

The reverse of the card reads:

MURRAY & LANMAN’S 

FLORIDA WATER 

The Universal Perfume

FOR THE TOILET, THE BATH and THE HANDKERCHIEF 

                   REPORT 

Professor Alexander Wassiliewitsch Poehl 

Analyzing Chemist for the Russian Gov- 

ernment, St. Petersburg: 

“Murray & Lanman’s FLORIDA WATER 

does not contain any integral parts 

which could be pernicious to health.” 

“The comparative investigation has 

shown that Murray & Lanman’s FLORIDA 

WATER possesses in a volatilized state 

a greater ability and power to purify 

the air than ‘Eau de Cologne;’ and in 

this respect Murray and Lanman’s FLORIDA 

WATER is far preferable to the well- 

Known Cologne Waters.” 

No. 6404 – Sept. 30th, 1886

Object of the Day: A Trade Card for Hoyt's German Cologne, 1890

Nestled amongst the blooms in a bouquet of tea roses, lilies of the valley and lavender are twelve small panels each marking the months of the year of 1890.  This trade card is entitled:

LADIES PERFUMED CALENDAR 1890

I can only assume that it was sprayed with scent—an aroma long-ago replaced with the aromas of must and a faint whiff of ancient cigarette smoke.

On the bottom of the card, in pink, it reads:

Compliments of

E.W. Hoyt & Co.

       Lowell, Mass.

Proprietors of

Hoyt’s German Cologne

And RUBIFOAM

Let’s take a look at the reverse.

In presenting our PERFUMED CALENDAR for 1890, we do so with the assurance that it will not only be found useful and worthy of preservation, but a constant reminder throughout the year that

HOYT’S GERMAN COLOGNE

Is the most

Fragrant and Lasting of all Perfumes.

     This perfection of colognes has been described as the “Imprisoned Breath of Blossoms,” a pleasing compliment to the combination of odors that serve this exquisite perfume.  The most fragrant and costly extracts from flowers are used in its manufacture, making it a delightful, refreshing, and agreeable perfume, unrivaled for the toilet, complexion, and the bath.  Adds comfort to the invalid.  A refined and pleasing odor for the handkerchief.

     In purchasing, care should be taken to obtain the genuine.  BEWARE of worthless substitutes offered for greater profit.  Three  sizes of HOYT’S GERMAN COLOGNE are sold:

Trial Size, 25 Cents; Medium Size, 50 cents; Large Bottles, $1.00.

------

RUBIFOAM for the TEETH. 

Deliciously Flavored.  A Perfect Liquid Dentifrice.

It’s use insures white teeth, sweet breath, healthy gums,

BEAUTIFULLY PUT UP.  Price, 25 Cents. 

------

HOYT’S GERMAN COLOGNE and RUBIFOAM are sold by

All druggists and Dealers in Toilet Articles.

E.W. HOYT & CO., Lowell, Mass., U.S.A.,

Sole Manufacturers

 ------

FOR SALE BY

T.S. Baker – Norwich, N.Y.

DEALER IN

Dry Goods, Groceries, Drugs, Medicines, Boots

and Shoes, hardware, Crockery, etc.

Print of the Day: An Advertisement for Je Reviens by Worth, 1940

Advertisement
Addey, 1940
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Famed commercial artist Wilfrid R. Addey (1912-1999) worked for sixty years for a variety of top  London advertising firms, drawing ads for everything from beer to pin-up girl calendars.

This gouache drawing is one of four designs that Addey  created in 1940 for an advertisement for the perfume Je Reviens from Worth.  Addey played up the easily recognizable design of the perfume’s bottle.  He has placed the blue, round bottle in at the bottom center of the page with "Je Reviens by Worth" at the top centre of the composition.

Addey makes the bottle seem almost planetary as light radiates from the bottle in brilliant shades of light to dark blue which blend with merging the dark background.  This composition combines the ethereal quality of beauty as well as implies the gentle scent of the perfume as it radiates from the bottle.

The Home Beautiful: A Venetian Glass Perfume Sprinkler, 1599-1700

Perfume Sprinkler
Murano, Italy, 1599-1700
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The glassmakers of Murano, an island near Venice, as we know, were renowned for their exceptional skill and creativity. This glass perfume sprinkler demonstrates that brilliance quite beautifully. 

The bottle was partly blown in a mould in the shape of a stringed instrument.  Blue glass was added to this to give the musical instrument bird-like qualities while the long spout takes the form of a snake.

Perfume would trickle down the spout.  To control the flow, the user would just need to place his or her thumb over the blue-rimmed hole in the side.

This beauty was made sometime in the Seventeenth Century. 

Gifts of Grandeur: A Pair of Perfume Flasks, c. 1671

Pair of Silver Gilt Flasks
French, 1671
Possibly by Louis Rousseau
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in Paris, circa 1671, this pair of silver-gilt, embossed flasks was doubtlessly part of an elaborate toilet service.  Such a suite would have been a very important status symbol in the late Seventeenth Century. These sorts of vanity services were traditionally given as wedding gifts, presented by a wealthy husband to his bride for use in her private boudoir. Toilet services typically included a mirror; boxes for ornaments, jewelry and cosmetics; and perfume bottles.

This pair of flasks—once  used to decoratively hold expensive cologne or perfume--was found when they were dug up in Parliament Hill Fields (between Hampstead and Highgate) in 1892.  The discovery was made by an inquisitive child in search of treasure.  He did fairly well, too.  Or, I should say his father did.  The boy’s pop sold them to the V&A for “a modest sum.”   

Each side of each flask has a slightly recessed panel which is cast and chased in bold relief with a botanical pattern.  They are sealed by a single screw stopper with floral scrolls and surmounted by a trefoil handle.  They are possibly the work of the celebrated Louis Rousseau who was known for his fashionable Seventeenth Century designs.  The bottoms of each are marked “LR” on either side of a baton within a laurel wreath.

Object of the Day: A Rather Confused Trade Card for Cologne

 

The front of this trade card depicts a snow-covered abbey illuminated by the moon.  Above it, the text reads:

Delicious and Delicate

Fleming’s Mikado Cologne.

Price 25 cents

Clearly, this fragrance is named for Gilbert and Sullivan’s famed operetta.  However, the illustration doesn’t keep with the theme.  Curiously, the reverse has nothing at all to do with the front and seems to advertise a Pennsylvania druggist and sundries shop.

Often, these cards were printed so that they were blank on the back, allowing a vendor of the product to stamp or print his own information.  That seems to be what’s happened here.

It reads:

SICK HEADACHE

Dyspepsia, Liver Complaint, Malaria & Indigestion

------------------------------------------------------------

Cured by the use of

Dr. C. McLane’s Liver Pills

------------------------------------------------------------

Price 25 cents a Box.

**Beware of Counterfeits made in St. Louis Mo. And Wheeling W. Va.

                                  _________                 

None genuine without the Signature of

Fleming Bros.  *  Pittsburgh, Penna.

___________________________________

Use * CRUDOFORM * for

Bruises, Sprains, Stiffness, Neuralgia

Pleurisy and Pain of All Kinds

Prepared by Fleming Bros., Pittsburgh, Pa.

Price, 25 Cents.

 -----------------------------------------------------------

A.K. Henderson

Dealer in

Drugs, Perfumery & Toilet Articles,

300 Frankstown Av.  PITTSBURGH, PA.

The card also has two handwritten names, in pencil:

Robbie Henderson

Robbie Ross

They’re written in the same childish hand.