The Art Of Perfume: Discovering And Collecting Perfume Bottles

The Art Of Perfume: Discovering And Collecting Perfume Bottles

Perfume bottles have been used since antiquity, but their history in modern times has been marked by the creation of exciting and original forms highlighted by equally elaborate presentations. Specially designed bottles and stoppers, labels, boxes and other unique decorative features endowed each perfume with an aura of distinction and exclusivity. This illustrated survey presents many of the most striking designs, outlines the historical and social background to their creation, and reflects the talents of leading designers (Gaillard, Viard) and glassmakers (Baccarat, Depinoix, Brosse), as well as inspired creations resulting from close collaborations between designers and leading figures in the fine art world such as Paul Iribe and Georges Lepape. A passionate collector of perfume bottles for nearly two decades, Christie Mayer Lefkowith has pioneered the study of their history, which has now become a major area of interest for collectors. She traces the story of perfume from its e1itist days as a luxury product through to the development of a mass market in the 1950s. With its research and analysis, over 200 illustrations in colour and a reference section listing over 500 major perfumers, designers and glassmakers, this book should prove to be of interest to collectors, to anyone interested in fashion and social history, and to designers of all kinds seeking imaginative inspiration.From Library JournalThe hundreds of containers illustrated here, which are from the author's own collection, date from the beginning of the 20th century through the 1950s. In the art of perfumery, scent is not the only allure. As the author points out in this detailed history, serious attention is also given to the selection of a name (which carries its own cachet), the design of the label, the bottle, the stopper, ornaments that might be affixed to it, and the box in which it is packaged. Often, this multimedia art form represents the work of well-known artists, designers, and couturiers. Although this book does not give advice on how to collect perfume bottles-which some readers might consider a drawback-it does contain a directory of hundreds of designers (past and present) with their addresses, a brief history of each firm, and the names of some of their best-known products. This would be an attractive addition to most libraries.Margarete Gross, Chicago P.L.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.From BooklistBy the time someone documents and publishes the history and artistry of a particular collectible, chances are that prices will be in the decidedly nonaffordable range. Be that as it may, Lefkowith concentrates on the first 60 years of this century, chronicling the effects of fashion, architecture, and art on the development of perfume bottles. All of the creations echo well-known design influences, including art nouveau and art deco. Offering many black-and-white and color photographs, this is a fascinating education in the arts as seen through a glass lightly.Barbara JacobsReviewWould Eternity smell the same--or sell the same--in a cough medicine bottle? Exactly Lefkowith's point. Her superior collection includes a 1926 bottle of Guerlain's Rolls Royce, which presumably doesn't smell like motor oil. --Entertainment Weekly, 11 December 1998[M]eticulously researched and beautifully illustrated history of fragrance fracons from the 1800s through the 1980s....A perfume expert for an auction house, Lefkowith writers with scholarly authority, drawing on company records, trade journals, and other archival materials. --Chicago Tribune