Thursday, November 29, 2018

Roolf et Cie

Societe Roolf et Cie of Choisy le Roi, France.

Granted French patent FR354606 n May 13, 1903 for an atomizer with a hermetic closure.

Granted French patent FR335026 on August 1, 1904 for a "Système de vaporisateur multiple".

Granted French patent FR354606 on October 9, 1905 for an atomizer with a hermetic seal.

Granted French patent FR361348 on June 15, 1906 for an improvement for an atomizer.

Granted French patent FR372061A on March 23, 1907 for an unusual atomizer.







In the letterheads, the company listed all the articles that they manufactured, including "vaporisateurs en tout genres", by 1940, this line was crossed out in the letterhead, which leads me to believe that they no longer produced these items.







Monday, November 19, 2018

Harrods Perfume Atomizers Ad 1913

Here is a great ad from a 1913 Harrods catalogue from London. There is a variety of atomizers here in bulbless pump style including piston pump and swans neck pumps. Only two atomizers are shown with bulbs. Note that Harrods only retailed these in their department store, they did not make them. Some of these may have been made by Kitzinger Freres.


















Saturday, July 28, 2018

Vaporisateurs Robert Bloch & Erelbe

Mayer Jules Robert Bloch of 89, rue de Rome, Paris, France doing business as Vaporisateurs Robert Bloch, specialized in perfume atomizers fitted with multiple nozzles and was primarily known for his three and four chambered pump style atomizers as shown in the 1923 letterhead below known as the Vaporisateur des Fees. Also located at 19, rue Richer, Paris.




  seen in this 1920 letterhead. Notice the ad states "Vaporisateurs des Fees" - Sprays of the Fairies.

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 Dry Goods Economist, Volume 66, Issue 3, 1912:
"Quadruple Perfume Atomizer. Paris is just now greatly interested in quadruple perfume spray that was originated, and is being marketed by Sarah Felix, a producer of general toilet lines. This new spray or atomizer -one of was purchased in Paris by the DRY ECONOMIST, and is shown in two positions on this page - is of the pump type, and consists of a large bottle, having enclosed four separate or mated bottles in about an ounce for holding that number of different odors. The four bottles have individual spray pipes leading to outlets or small capped nozzles of the larger bottle.


The spray pipes have small cocks on the interior, making it possible for the user to spray any single odor, several odors, or all four may be sprayed instantaneously, thus forming a mélange of the odors by opening all the cocks at once. In addition to the cut offs concealed within the bottle, each vent is equipped with a screw cap, thus making accidental leakage an impossibility. The spraying is done by means of a spring pump forcing the air through the single or several open vents, when the perfume comes out through the row of keys resembling small knobs, seen at the front of the bottle in the illustration. 
The upper section of the atomizer is of nickel plated metal, in which is located the pump. The outer base is of etched glass and is 2 1/4 inches in diameter. The small vent caps are attached by chains to prevent their being lost and the whole object measures 6 inches in height. In a limited way, this new style of atomizer has been offered to the American trade in the nickel and in the gold plated styles, either of which has a retail value of about $7.50."

During the 19th century, the parisian perfumery of Sarah Felix was famous especially for her cosmetic "L'Eau des Fées" ("Water of the Fairies"), a beard and hair dye.  This name was trademarked in 1887 by J. Bloch of Paris trading as Sarah Felix of 43 rue Richu, Paris. Sarah Felix, sister of the famous actress Rachel, exercised several jobs before becoming perfumer. At first, she too was an actress, then she tried oyster culture in Normandy, most likely for the pearls. Abandoning these activities, Sarah Felix became a true businesswoman in Paris. She dedicated herself to perfumery, in particular to her infamous "L'Eau des Fées", from 1866. To help launch this product, she was associated with an engineer, a pharmacist, and a physician. She also benefited from the protection of the imperial family. A lawsuit between the associates and the 1870 war hindered the company's early days, but "L'Eau des Fées" persevered and became the company's best selling product. The "Parfumerie des Fées" completed the range of its cosmetics with creams, powders, etc.

The four chambered atomizer was invented and patented under the Sarah Felix name in 1912. It was called the "Vaporisateur des Fees". The Sarah Félix company was still owned by Bloch and by 1920 was known as Robert Bloch of Paris, who specialized in these atomizers with multiple "jets".