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The Art of Allure: Powder Compacts and Vanities of the 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries
From the Collection
of
Noelle Soren
April 3– May 23, 2004
Click here to go directly to Table of Contents for Clickable Links to Sections of Interest
Click here to see Additions to the collection since this catalogue was written
By
Noelle Soren
Copyright 2004
Noelle Soren
All rights Reserved
Photography: Noelle Soren
This catalogue is published in conjunction with the exhibition organized by the Arizona Museum of Art and presented
April 3 – May 23, 2004
The University of Arizona Museum of Art
P.O. Box 210002
Tucson, AZ 85721-0002
http://artmuseum.arizona.edu
Table of Contents
Background of the Collection
Short History of Makeup and Compacts
Items from the Collection
Masterpieces in Miniature (Plates 1-3)
Celebrity/Designer (Plates 4-11)
Patriotic/Political (Plates 12-14)
Souvenirs/Advertisements Plates 15-17)
Art Movements and Styles (Plates 18- 23)
Romantic/Exotic/Ethnic Places, Times and People (Plates-24-30)
Figural/Novelties (Plates 31-38)
Other Collectible Compact and Vanity Types (Plates 39 – 42)
Carryalls and Minaudières (Plates 43-48)
Wonders of Design (Plates 49-50)
The Trade Marks and Companies Represented
Glossary
Bibliography
Background of the Collection
Those who collect know the pleasure of discovering a treasure, of contemplating its unique features and how it might enhance a collection. They know the thrill of acquiring such a gem, either through purchase or hard-fought auction bidding, and of placing it within a collection and arranging it and rearranging it, while appreciating its history and unique physical qualities. But what could be the appeal of discarded and often used ladies’ powder compacts? They are, after all, a type of collectible called ephemera – made of fragile, easily scratched and damaged materials, for the most part meant to be used and perhaps refilled and reused once or twice and then discarded as fashions changed. Their fragility and ephemeral nature makes those that survive in mint or near mint condition, with original puffs, mirrors and sometimes with original boxes and papers, excellent collectibles and rare finds indeed. The more of these accompanying items, the greater is the value of the compact. Acquiring a collection of such items today presents a real challenge for a collector.
Compacts, in their many and varied forms and materials, offer a particularly fertile field for the collector. The underlying reason for this was summed up neatly in one of the cosmetics industry’s publications, The American Perfumer, in 1931:
“…Potential purchasers may include dowagers and chorus girls, debutantes and stenographers.It is impossible to please them all within one design of compact…we must present them with a wide variety of containers.”
The industry certainly succeeded in this aim! There are literally thousands of styles of compacts and vanity cases ranging from the plainest gold metal, silver metal or plastic to elaborate gem encrusted heirlooms and beyond. Some are artistic masterpieces, hand painted miniatures done by anonymous artists of considerable talent. Others, in an effort to pack as many types of makeup and gadgetry as possible into a tiny package fit for a corner of a lady’s purse or pocket, exhibit design innovations and miniaturization that would make any engineer proud. Still others are novel, almost toy-like or even silly and just lot of fun!
This collection began with one lovely compact purchased at a thrift shop as stock for an antique business. Parting with it proved impossible, and prompted me to wonder if others found these items fascinating and collectible. A quick glance at a then new web site called Ebay, revealed almost 2000 reasons why the answer was “YES!”
Each collector seeks examples that appeal to her more than others in categories that may or may not be recognized by other collectors. The examples exhibited here are a few from a large collection of compacts, vanity cases and inquiries with the following loose categories in mind:
- Masterpieces in Miniature – examples featuring miniature reproductions of known works of art done usually, but not always, in enamel on silver or vermeil.
- Celebrity/Designer – examples designed by famous jewelers, designers or artists, or those with some connection to a celebrity, like an autograph or brand name.
- Patriotic/Political Cases – examples with patriotic or political themes, usually from the era of World War II.
- Souvenirs/Advertisements – examples produced as a souvenir of a place or event or to advertise some specific product or service.
- Art Movements and Styles – vintage contemporary examples exhibiting period decoration in styles like Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Post-Deco Baroque or Post-Forties Modern.
- Romantic/Exotic/Ethnic Places, Times and People – examples that call to mind the canals of Venice, Egypt and the Arab East, Classical Greece and Rome, Pierrot, Negro subjects, wood nymphs, femmes, flappers and sensuous ladies, and romantic period couples.
- Figural/Novelties –examples that resemble something else - a piano, a flying saucer, a sardine can – or those that have an unusual useful feature like a music box or fob.
- Other Collectible Types – Examples with decoration that includes flowers and flower baskets, scenics, sports, animals, mother-of-pearl, gems and filigree.
- Carryalls and Minaudières – examples of larger items that include a compact along with one or several other features like lipstick, rouge, a cigarette case, a comb, a perfume bottle, etc
- Wonders of Design – Examples from any of the other categories that move beyond the realm of cosmetic case and into the field of innovative design.
A Short History of Makeup and Compacts
Archaeological remains found the world over attest to the use of paint, makeup and cosmetics for millennia by both sexes for adornment and ceremonial purposes. The word “cosmetic”, referring to creams, lotions and other substances that protect the skin (as opposed to paint that covers the skin with no therapeutic effects), derives from the Greek “kosmeo” , to order or arrange, and its related forms “kosmos”, order, and “kosmetos”, well-arranged, regular and “kosmetes”, one who orders or adorns. Oils, perfumes, ointments and unguents made from sesame, olive oil, saffron, flower essences and other ingredients are known from the early archaeological contexts. Cave paintings show that body paint was used at least by the Upper Paleolithic (35, 000 – 8, 000 BC) for camouflage, to induce fear in one’s enemies and for other ritual purposes. Among grave goods of the Egyptian civilization that rose along the Nile Valley, items like kohl to outline the eyes (composed of carbon, galena, brown ochre, iron oxide, malachite and antimony sulfide), yellow ochre, iron oxide and henna to color the skin and red ochre for the cheeks and lips are common. Red ochre often found in seashells within tombs across the ancient Mediterranean and Near East from Sumeriato Carthage was probably used as makeup. In Babylon, white lead paint and vermillion (mercury sulfide) for rouge was used on the face. In Greek times, Theophrastus (ca. 370 BC), the earliest known writer on perfumes and cosmetics, records that women used white lead to whiten and vermillion or mulberry juice to highlight the face.
The Romans followed this tradition. Pliny the Elder reports that the Emperor Nero and his wife Poppaea used lead and chalk from the Greek Island of Chios to whiten their faces , kohl to outline their eyes, and a fucus of white chalk and purple dye for their cheeks and lips. Galen, the Pergamene writer on medicine(129-199 AD) records a recipe for ceratum regrigerans –rosewater, one part beeswax and four parts olive oil. As the water evaporated on the skin a cooling sensation was created as the skin was softened –cold cream!
In Early Christian times in the West the use of cosmetics was considered by many as fit for only harlots. It was seen as unnatural and prideful, a root of adultery and witchcraft, to alter the image given by God. But the use of cosmetics remained popular in the East where ancient makeup traditions continued, and the development of distillation by the Arabs fed continuing research and development of oils, essences and cosmetics. During the Crusades (1096 –14th century) returning warriors brought beauty preparations, created while the West slept, back for their ladies, reintroducing cosmetics to Europe where they caught on like wildfire. A network of cosmetic makers and itinerant merchants developed, but many women made their own preparations at home.
Over the following centuries, fashions in makeup varied across Europe by time and place – in some, only prostitutes wore heavy makeup, in others prostitutes went barefaced while ladies of fashion painted their faces. During the Renaissance, the age-old combination of white lead and vermillion was extensively used, but the eyes went unadorned. In Venice, a ladies’ society was formed to test and research new cosmetics with many elite members like Catherine de Medici. When she married Henry II of France (1533) she brought her love of perfumes and cosmetics, along with the table fork and the art of fine pastry making, to the court of France where soon all members of the royal clans- men , women and children - adopted the use of heavy makeup against the protests of the clergy. The use of makeup spread through the royal families of Europe to England where Queen Elizabeth I became so fond of makeup that she cooked up her own preparations from white lead, vermillion, red ochre and cochineal, with a final touch of egg white applied as a glaze for sheen. It is reported that the pale look was so desired that women even resorted to eating gravel, ashes, and candles to make themselves ill and the correct shade of pale.
Before the 16th century, cosmetics had been seen as a branch of medicine. But during the 16th and 17thcenturiesmany writers like Isabella Cortese, Jean Liébaut and André Fournier dealt with the topics of makeup and cosmetics, and a gradual development of cosmetics as a separate discipline occurred. In addition, the first laws we recreated controlling the poisons in cosmetics, like lead and mercury, that caused misery and even death to their users over their lifetimes. Yet, even though contemporary writers indicate that most men abhorred the use of heavy cosmetics, saw them as dangerous and the women who used them as“ugly and abominable” practitioners of cosmetic sorcery, the use of harmful cosmetics continued unabated. In fact, the use of heavy makeup became so widespread in the 18th century that a law was passed in England declaring that any marriage brought about by their use to trap a man, a practice considered akin to witchcraft, would be declared null and void!
A recipe for face powder from the Court of Louis XIV seems quite natural and safe, except for the addition of bismuth:
“Poudre D, Amour
Scrape six juicy raw carrots and half a pink beetroot, squeeze the juice out through a muslin bag and put it aside. Take 3 ounces finely powdered cornstarch, mix it with the carrot and beet juice, expose it to the sun and stir occasionally until the fluid evaporates leaving the tinted starch dry. Sift through a piece of silk gauze and add: powdered Venetian talc 300 grains, powdered lycopodium(a moss) 300 grains, powdered bergamot (an herb) 45 grains, powdered bismuth 7grains. Sift again and keep in a sandalwood box.”
In18th century North America, citizen colonists, men and women, rejected costly preparations and display as signs of the degenerate aristocracy that they had come so far to escape. In Europe, however, the 18thand 19th centuries saw the continuation and intensification of the use of face painting and a process called enameling:
“In enamelling (sic) the face, the skin is first prepared by an alkaline wash, after which all wrinkles and depressions are filled with a yielding paste. Then the face is simply painted. And artists in this line generally prefer to use the poisonous salts of lead for the purpose, as they produce more striking effects than any other pigment. After the white layer is applied the red tinting is done.” This necessitated, “perfect repose of the features so that the emotions, whether happy or sorrowful, must be repressed…”
To obtain the lead salts, also called ceruse, for this process, lead sheeting was exposed to hot vinegar fumes. A white crust formed that was scraped off and made into little cakes that could be sold for use in beauty preparations. One of these preparations was infamous – Laird’s Bloom of Youth. It was ask in lightener that is medically documented to have caused the death by lead poisoning of many of those who used it.
Another less toxic process, called varnishing, was accomplished by beating together egg whites and lemon juice and cooking them slowly to the consistency of soft butter. This was rubbed on the face and allowed to dry to a smooth sheen. This at least did not contain harmful chemicals, but it also formed a crust that cracked at the least sign of emotion.
To emphasize the ideal skin’s paleness and supposed translucency, blue veins were painted as highlights with a paint of chalk, Prussian blue and water on the face, temples and even bosom. Patches, small usually black decorations in a myriad of shapes like stars, suns, moons and birds, were used to emphasize the paleness of skin and hide imperfections like pimples and pock scars. The practice, which had been around at least since Roman times, grew in popularity in the 17th century and by the 19th had became so common that those who used them often were the subject of ridicule by contemporary writers. But patches also served to convey subliminal messages to suitors– a patch by the lip was flirtatious, a heart on the left cheek was a message that the wearer was engaged, one on the right that she was married. Small patch boxes designed to hold these patches often included a small pot of rouge and a brush applicator. These precursors to the makeup compact were often exquisitely made by fine gold and silversmiths and became a fashionable accessory to carry, hang on a chatelaine or place on a dressing table.
The usual assumption that it was the fashion for ladies in Victorian England to deny themselves makeup for moral reasons seems to be untrue. While many writers, male and female, do lament the use of makeup of any kind in this period, with Darwinians going so far as to consider makeup as a method of subversion of the process of natural selection, the sheer numbers of commentators on this subject suggests how common the use of heavy makeup must have been. The real objection seems to be to rouged cheeks and red lips. The pale look of white lead enamel and white powder of chalk or ground pearls with emphasized blue veins was popular, but rouge and lip color was little used except by prostitutes.
In the U.S.A. a similar situation reigned, with ground chalk, starch and rice powder the most popular whiteners. Less toxic bismuth had replaced the lead in enameling preparations, and whiteners known as white wash, lily white or “white cosmetic” were commonly used. But alas! The bismuth in this makeup often reacted with natural gas fumes given off by the newly popular gas lamps found in more and more homes of the period, turning the faces of the fashionable made-up ladies grey by the end of the evening! But technology came to the rescue when in 1866 H. Tetlow, an American inventor, replaced bismuth with zinc oxide in his Pussy Willow Powder. His perfumed talc quickly became the largest selling patent cosmetic in the country. About the same time, tinted powders in cream and beige shades became available in the U.S. By 1906, the Food and Drug Act, though it excluded most cosmetics from regulation, did ban the use of lead and other poisons in makeup and required proof of beneficial claims made by manufacturers to spur sales.
According to Kathy Peiss, in her book, Hope in a Jar, the development and popularization of photography in the 19th century and the fad of the“carte de visite”, cheaply produced card-sized portraits handed put like business cards to friends and family, caused people to pay more attention to their physical appearance. Not only did makeup become a necessity before being photographed, but retouching, tinting and even applying makeup directly on a print to improve it became common practices by photographers.
In the 19th century, advertising, which began for cosmetics as early as the 18th century, gradually led women away from their homemade preparations, produced from recipes handed down in families or found in early cookbooks, household encyclopedias and manuals or ladies guides, to the purchase and use of patent products made by perfumers and other companies for sale at pharmacies and hairdressers. By the end of the century advertising had become a moving force with cosmetic lines promoted by, and often named after, members of the aristocracy, even royalty, and by “stars” of the stage like Lilly Langtry and Sarah Bernhardt. In addition, as cosmetics, a natural area of expertise by women for women, became more fashionable and accepted as a form of self expression, patent firms expanded. Business women like Madame C.J. Walker and Harriet Hubbard Ayer saw the cosmetic businesses they had struggled to establish become successful. As the 20th century dawned, salons featuring the preparations of cosmetician/businesswomen like Helena Rubinstein (1902) and Elizabeth Arden (1908) opened and grew into a modern industry. These enterprises brought more women into the business world and provided jobs for them as hairdressers, cosmeticians, manicurists, sales people and workers in other cosmetic related fields. But by 1920 new firms led mostly by men bought outmost woman-owned cosmetic businesses and developed mass marketing, production and distribution as cosmetics entered the world of big business.
A degree of uniformity of composition in cosmetic formulations was becoming the norm as some manufacturers created generic products for a number of companies that packaged and sold them under various brand names. By 1930 Americans spent$700 million annually in the cosmetics and beauty industries. Women could choose from 300 face powders and hundreds of rouges. Yet some women still wore little or no makeup and depended on the biting of their own lips and the patting of their cheeks with face patters manufactured by firms like Dorothy Gray to give themselves healthy color. Others still depended on a dusting of powder, fluffing it loosely all over the face, neck and shoulders giving a dusty pale look as the powder clung to the eye brows and lashes.
The date at which makeup came out of the boudoir and into a lady’s pocket or purse in the form of a compact is unknown. Portable pocket mirrors are known from at least the 14th century. As early as 1825, rouge impregnated papers called “Spanish Papers” were sold for carrying in pocket or purse, and Chinese boxes of colors with black papers for eyebrows, red for cheeks and others with white pearl powder were available by special order from China. Examples of chatelaines that include compacts are known from the late 19th century. By 1903 books of powder leaves on special perfumed paper called Papier Poudre, that could be carried in the purse, were available. A powder impregnated page from the book could be used to powder the nose and then discarded. In 1904 Vickery’s Fashionable Square Shaped Solid Gold Chain Bag , fitted with a small detachable chatelaine, included a mirror and puff box. In 1909, Plexo face powder, “the perfect powder in the perfect box…just right for carrying in your purse or bag…” was advertised. It was composed of a small box of powder and a puff, no mirror. By 1913 a mirror was added and the compact, if simple, was born. The beauty editor of Vogue Magazine wrote in that year, “The little boxes of hard powder, each with its tiny puff, have become almost indispensable to womankind.” Soon powder, both pressed and loose and dispensed in a variety of patented mechanisms, could be found in many shades, often paired with rouge in the same “vanity” with puffs and a mirror.
The composition of face powder included ingredients designed to cover imperfections (kaolin, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide); to insure adhesion to the skin (talc, zinc and magnesium separate, mineral oil); to absorb facial oils (kaolin, starch, calcium and magnesium carbonate); to give a nice “slip” in application (talc); to impart a “peach”finish (chalk, rice starch, powdered silk) and a healthy glow (inorganic and pearlescent pigments) and a pleasing fragrance (perfume).
The new and increasing mobility of women, and their entry into the job market especially around 1917 (World War I), gave them time out of the home along with disposable income to spend oncosmetics.In addition, the new and developing phenomena of radio, magazine and newspaper advertising, and the movies, their close-ups and mass-market movie magazines, featured all manner of alluring, heavily painted models and American and foreign actresses like Greta Garbo, Theda Bara and Colleen Moore, who became living and breathing advertisements for cosmetics, their use and their glamour. Before and after photos, often heavily retouched, showing improvements through the use of makeup, helped sell all manner of cosmetics and beauty preparations. Through skilled advertising and the use of tie-ins like beauty contests at movie openings, beauty secrets of the stars used in advertising and live demonstrations at ladies’ matinees, a demand was created for cosmetics and especially for portable makeup for primping several times a day in“powder rooms” wherever women congregated, in urban areas and small towns alike. Personal appearance became more important for working women who were judged by their peers and employers on the basis of their “look”. Many companies even offered classes and beauty tips for their new female employees to encourage them to look their best while at work. In addition, “making up” was seen by the young asa road to maturity and by immigrant women, trying to fit into the society of their adopted country, as a way to participate in the“American” spirit.
The novelty and style of compacts and vanities expressed the personalities of their owners and were meant to be noticed, especially by other women. They fostered conversation among women, especially those under 40 who were the heaviest purchasers of makeup. Making up became a form of recreation - a pleasure every woman had a right to experience .Makers responded with a barrage of new products every fashion season, linking new fashion colors to new styles of compacts to keep up demand. In addition, during the 1920s sun tanning became a fad that created a demand for a greater variety of shades for all sorts of cosmetics. Now, a woman required one group of products for the tanning season and another for the winter months. It was the “modern” thing to do. Volume selling at 5-10¢ stores like F.W. Woolworth and heavy advertising not only in magazines and newspapers but over the radio helped the industry grow. The beauty empires of Max Factor, Revlon, Rubinstein, Arden and others were fed by this demand, and the compact makers gladly obliged.
Styles of compact design fit the times– feminine Art Nouveau motives were an early favorite, some created by important designers like René Lalique. Modernistic and Deco designs were the rage in the 1920s and 1930s, often with exotic themes and images of Egypt, the Far East, romantic Venice, skyscrapers, fairies and femmes, sad Pierrots or colorful zigzag or abstract patterns. Images of loving couples, often dressed in 18th century garb to create associations with romantic notions and blockbuster films like King of Jazz and Anthony Adverse were popular. Images of Classical Greek and Roman subjects, flower bouquets, animals, glamorous beauties and women applying makeup, as well as scenic colorful flower gardens or famous landmarks and souvenir commemorations of the Chicago and New York World’s Fairs (1933 and 1939) and other important events all can be found on compacts.
During World War II, advertisers urged women to remain feminine even as they entered the work force in greater numbers, taking men’s jobs left vacant by departing servicemen. Companies installed salons and offered classes on charm, makeup and good looks to lift morale. In 1942 the War Production Board’s Order L-171 restricted the manufacture, packaging and new product releases of cosmetic products, and the production of existing products was cut by 20%. Within 4 months the order was rescinded with a request for women to cut back on consumption voluntarily. Compact makers lessened or eliminated their use of metals, except for sterling silver, during this period, substituting wood, snakeskin, ostrich, leather, cloth, cardboard, ivory, shell and plastics in their designs and eliminating the silk, banned from use for anything other than gun powder bags in 1942, from their powder screens. To give plastics more panache, various types were given new names – Lucite, Crystalite, Pearlglow, Airglass and Feather Light, among others. Carrying plastic accessories became a patriotic gesture, and many metal compacts ended their days as metal scrap donated for the war. Many a mesh bag wound up as a substitute for metal scouring pads that were not available during the war. Even after metals could be used again, patriotic types like Coty’s Flying Colors, military hats, flags , battleships, service branch insigniae, mottos, ranks, forts, camps, Red Cross, Bundles for Britain, and “Sweetheart” compacts with spaces for photos of service men were popular. Today this category has special cross over collectible appeal for World War II buffs.
After World War II, compacts were back in force in contemporary styles, especially the Post Deco Baroque, an explosion of gazelles, florals and plumes like paisley on steroids. In Italy, a revolution occurred when artisans created ornate heavily engraved 800 silver compacts and then in a stroke of genius began decorating them with hand painted miniatures of well known paintings by famous artists like Titian, Francois Boucher and Botticelli. These compacts were exported to major high-end retailers like Sax Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus in the U.S. and to others in major European cities, creating a successful post-war industry that helped to restore the devastated Italian economy.
The 1950s brought the “New Look” in fashion and sleeker more modern styled compacts. Poodles were popular, and the Coronation of a new Queen of England inspired a bevy of souvenir compacts with themes of the life of Elizabeth II that would continue for more than half a century. Novelties like Elgin American’s Bird-in-Hand designed by Salvatore Dali, also found a market. Popular artists like Hilda Terry and Laura Jean Allen created cartoon designs featuring teenagers to appeal to the young cosmetics market. Companies like Evans and Volupté developed their carryall lines to hold everything a woman might need for a night out. How could they know that in just a few years the idea of a compact as a stylish fashion accessory would be obsolete?
The 1960s brought the “natural look” of no makeup, long straight hair, women’s liberation and a radical backlash against the “establishment” and consumer culture by young men and women, the very demographic group the cosmetic industry depended upon to buy their products. Fashions changed and the compact was pared down to its essentials, surviving if at all as a plain plastic disc often neglected on a dressing table or at the bottom of a backpack or hippy carpet bag. A handful of companies like Stratton in England and Estēe Lauder in the U.S. continued to make stylish compacts for the discriminating few, but the compact’s day as a fashion accessory was over. Yet its popularity as a collectible had just begun! Thanks to the companies that created an endless variety of cases to hold their products throughout the 20th century, we can collect and appreciate them all over again today.
Items from the Collection
Masterpieces in Miniature
Click here to learn more about the paintings reproduced on these compacts
Miniature reproductions of known works of art
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- Italian Maker(?) - vermeil compact with painted enamel. 7 x 8cm. Marked “800” with oval mark and “4” in powder well. Front, sides and back engraved with plumes. Central enameled scene surrounded by faux turquoise insets. Depicts“Shepherd Piping to a Shepherdess” (ca. 1747) by François Boucher.
- Italian Maker(?) – silver compact with silver floral cut-out design over copper colored surface surrounding central hand painted medallion under glass. 8.5 x 9cm. Marked “800” with oval mark containing “223 FL” and “3” in powder well. Sides and back engraved with geometric and floral motives. Depicts “Head of Cleopatra” (ca. 1490) by Piero di Cosimo
- Italian Maker(?)- vermeil compact with painted enamel. 9.5 x 7.5cm. Marked “800” in powder well. Front sides and back engraved with floral motives. Central enameled scene surrounded by faux turquoise insets. Depicts ”Spring Bird Catcher” (early 18th century) by Nicolas Lancret.
- Italian Maker?) - vermeil compact with painted enamel. 8 x 6cm. Marked “800” with oval mark on mirror rim. Front sides and back engraved with floral motives. Central enameled scene surrounded by faux lapis lazuli insets. Depicts “The Nest” (1743) by François Boucher. Matching enameled and engraved lipstick tube with cobalt blue closure and pop-up mirror marked “800”.
- Italian Maker (?) - vermeil compact with painted enamel. 9.5 x 7cm. Marked “800” on mirror rim with oval mark containing“304 FL”. Front sides and back engraved with geometric and floral motives. Central enameled scene surrounded by faux turquoise insets. Depicts “Aurora” (1613) by Guido Reni. Matching enameled and engraved lipstick tube gold washed with turquoise closure, faux malachite insets and pop-up mirror marked “800”.
- Italian Maker (?)- vermeil compact with painted enamel. 7 x 6.5cm. Marked “800” with oval mark on mirror surround. Front sides and back engraved with plumes and geometric motives. Central enameled scene surrounded by faux lapis insets. Depicts “Guitarist and Four Figures Near a Statue” (1716) by Jean-Antoine Watteau.
- Italian Maker - vermeil compact with painted enamel. 9 x 8cm. Marked “10” and “Made in Italy” in powder well. Front and back engraved with plumes. Sides have rinceau in relief. Central enameled scene surrounded by faux turquoise insets. Depicts “Cupid Bound by the Graces” (1770) by Angelica Kauffman. This picture is a mirror image of the original.
- Italian Maker (?) – silver compact with silver floral cut-out design over gold colored surface surrounding central hand painted medallion under glass. 7.5 x 7.5cm. Marked “800” on mirror rim. Sides and back engraved with geometric and floral motives. Depicts “The Source” (1856) by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.
- Italian Maker (?)- vermeil compact with painted enamel. 9.5 x 8cm. Marked “800” with oval mark in powder well. Front, sides and back engraved with plumes and floral motives. Central enameled scene surrounded by faux turquoise insets. Depicts “La Primavera” (1477-78) by Allessandro Botticelli.
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- Mondaine - gold metal and leather(?). 7 x 5cm. Marked “Mondaine New York USA” on interior. Central medallion with transfer image. Depicts “Mona Lisa” (1504) by Leonardo da Vinci.
- Stratton of London, Stratton Convertible – gold metal, transfer image. 8.5cm diameter. Marked “Stratton England” on reverse, “pat.764125” on interior. Depicts “Interrupted Sleep” (1750) by François Boucher.
- Italian Maker (?) - vermeil compact with painted enamel. 7 x 6.5cm. Marked “800” in powder well. Front sides and back engraved with plumes and floral motives. Central enameled scene surrounded by faux turquoise insets. Depicts “The Gleaners” (1853) by Jean-François Millet.
- Mondaine - gold metal and leather(?). 7 x 5cm. Marked “Mondaine New York USA” on interior. Central medallion with transfer image. Depicts “Portrait of a Lady” (ca. 1460) by Antonio del Pollaiuolo.
- Italian Maker (?) - vermeil compact with painted enamel. 8 x 8cm. Marked “800” on mirror edge with oval mark and “8” in powder well. Front, sides and back engraved with floral motives. Hand painted scene accented with faux turquoise insets depicts “Dante and Beatrice” (1883) by Henry Holiday.
- Italian Maker (?)– vermeil compact with painted enamel. 8 x 5.5cm. Marked “800” with oval mark, “117 F1” and “A” in powder well. Pseudo-cloisonné design in blue enamel surrounding hand painted scene on ivory (?).Front, sides and back engraved with floral motives. Depicts “Sacred and Profane Love” (ca. 1515) by Titian (Tiziano Vicellio
- Stratton – grisaille design in metal within engraved silver metal frame. 7.5cm diameter. Marked “Made in England” with Stratton compact-in-hand logo. Depicts “The Bird Cage” (early 18th century) by Nicolas Lancret.
- Italian Maker(?)– vermeil compact with painted enamel. 8.5 x 7.5cm. Marked “800” with oval mark and “A” in powder well. Front, sides and back engraved with floral motives. Faux turquoise and malachite insets surround hand painted central scene. Depicts “Birth of Venus” (1482) by Alessandro Botticelli.
- Italian Maker– gold metal compact with gold wash. 8cm. diameter. Marked “Made in Italy” on mirror surround. Front sides and back decorated with moldings, florals and swags in relief. Faux turquoise surround punctuated with rhinestone. A rhinestone band surrounds the central hand painted medallion. Depicts “Madame Adelaide” (1749) by Jean-Marc Nattier.
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- Italian Maker(?) - vermeil compact with painted enamel scene.7.5 x 5.5cm. Marked “17” in powder well and“800” with oval mark and swan/whale mark on mirrorurround. There is another mark resembling a plume, swan or whale on the mirror surround. Front and back engraved with plumes and floral motives. Sides have grape and floral motives in relief. Central enameled scene set off by faux lapis and floral insets. Depicts“The Dance of Apollo and the Muses” (16th century) by Baldassare Peruzzi. In the original scene there is one more figure to the left. The central figure here should be Apollo but the artist has made him into the 9th muse.
- Italian Maker – vermeil compact with enameled scene surrounded by faux lapis and turquoise insets. The front, sides and back are covered with ornate floral engraving. 9.5 x 7.5cm. Marked inside “800” twice , “Made Italy” and two small oval marks. Depicts “Sacred and Profane Love” (ca. 1515) by Titian (Tiziano Vicellio).
- Italian Maker (?)– silver compact with painted enamel scene. The scene is surrounded by faux malachite insets and the front, sides and back are covered with ornate floral engraving. The closure is also a hidden lipstick. 7.5 x 6cm. Marked inside “800” and an oval stamp that reads “117 FL”. Depicts “Renaldo and Armida” (1734) by François Boucher.
- German maker – sterling compact with guilloché front and reverse with painting on lid. 4.75cm diameter. Inscribed“Germany Sterling D5” on mirror edge. Depicts “The Blue Boy” by Sir Thomas Gainsborough (1770).
- Italian Maker (?) – vermeil compact with painted enamel scene surrounded by faux turquoise insets. The front, sides and back are covered with ornate floral engraving. 8 x 6cm. Marked “800” with a small illegible oval mark, another in the form of a swan or whale and “10” in the powder well. Depicts “Venus Blindfolding Cupid” (1565) by Titian (Tiziano Vicellio)
- Evans – gold metal and embroidered black fabric “Mayfair” vanity bag with chain handle and repoussé lid. Lid holds a compact, mirror and rouge container that unfold one by one. Lid 6.5cm diameter, total length with handle 18.5cm. Depicts “The Music Lesson” by Nicolas Lancret (ca. 1743).
- D.F. Briggs Co., Vanity - silver metal and gold metal engine turned design front and back with tango chain. 7.5 x 6.5cm, 16cm length including chain. Sides embellished with floral relief. Marked inside “D.F.B. Co.” and “Pat. Feb 9 1925”. Contains powder well, rouge, lipstick and eye makeup tube. Depicts “The Dinkey Bird” (1904) by Maxfield Parrish from Poems of Childhood by Eugene Field. Accompanied by Unmarked card/cigarette case with design similar to above. 7 x 4.5cm.
- Italian Maker (?) – vermeil compact with enamel scene. The scene is surrounded by faux turquoise insets and the front, sides and back are covered with ornate floral engraving. 8.5 x 6.5cm. Marked “800” inside. Depicts “Innocence” (1743?) by Nicolas Lancret.
- Italian Maker (?) – silver vanity with enamel scene and unique press-to-open mechanism on the lipstick at lower edge. The scene is surrounded with faux turquoise insets and the front, sides and back are covered with ornate floral engraving. 6 x 6.25cm. Marked “2” in the powder well. Depicts “The Bird Cage” (1763) by Francois Boucher.
- Stratton – gold metal vanity with pop-up lipstick. Litho or painted scene on lid. 8.25 x 7cm. Marked “Stratton” with compact in hand trademark inside. Depicts “The Music Lesson” (ca. 1743) by Nicolas Lancret.
Celebrity/Designer
Examples designed by famous jewelers, designers or artists,
or those with some connection to a celebrity
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Plate 4
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- Boucheron - sterling and gold compact embellished with rubies in a cut-out floral design on the lid revealing the mirror beneath. The mirror pops open when the compact is opened. 5.75 x 7.25cm. In original presentation box with the Boucheron trademark. Marked inside “Boucheron Paris” with 2 marks, one a W and D in small triangles and the other a square. Also marked “63555” on inner edge. Boucheron is a jewelry company founded in Paris in 1858 by Frederic Boucheron, a noted luxury jeweler and perfumer who became well known for his decorative motifs inspired by nature. The company has been in business at 26 Place Vendôme in Paris since 1893. In the 1940s and 50s Boucheron revived flower and feather motifs to accompany “The New Look” of Christian Dior.
- Kerkoff Djer-Kiss - compact and loose powder box in fabric-lined gift box. Compact is silver metal with hammered surface, cartouche and silver silk tassel, marked inside “Poudre Djer-Kiss Kerkoff”. 5.25cm diameter. Powder box marked “Parfum Djer-kiss Kerkoff Paris” on the front and “Alfred H. Smith Co. New York Sole Importers for USA and Canada” “Face Powder Djer-Kiss. To be genuine all Djer-Kiss articles for U.S.A. and Canada must also bear this label.” Leo Feist Inc., commissioned noted song writer Milton Ager (Happy Days Are Here Again, Ain’t She Sweet) to write the Djer-Kiss Waltz as an advertising promotion for this cosmetic line.
- Revlon – gold metal compact designed by the jewelers, Van Cleef and Arpels – Central plastic medallion depicting Art Nouveau style profile of a lady. 4.75cm diameter. Marked on the bottom “Love Pat – Cream Beige, Revlon, New York”. Gilded Florentine style gift box marked “Revlon Paris New York London, Case designed by Van Cleef and Arpels”. Van Cleef and Arpels is a jewelry business created by Charles, Julien and Louis Arpels in partnership with their brother-in-law Alfred Van Cleef in Paris in 1906. They opened their first US store in New York in 1942 and have become famous, along with Cartier, Boucheron and Tiffany as one of the world’s foremost jewelers. In the 1930s VCA patented the minaudière, an accessory meant to replace the handbag, that was the antecedent of the later carryalls manufactured by Volupté and Evans. In the 1950s VCA designed a series of compacts for Revlon.
- Flamand Fladium - gold metal bracelet compact with amber plastic lid embellished with gold metal stars. 6 x 4cm. Marked on the back “Flamand Fladium Deposé, Made in France Paris, Claudine Cereola”. This bracelet compact is from a series of similar bracelet compacts, each with the name of a celebrity inscribed on the back. Claudine Cereola was a French opera star in the early 20th century.
- Yves St. Laurent – gold metal heart shaped compact with an array of green rhinestones on lid. 7 x 7cm. Marked “Yves Saint Laurent Paris” on reverse. Yves Mathieu Saint Laurent was born in Oran, Algeria in 1936 to a wealthy family. By 1953 he was designing for Christian Dior, and by 1962 he introduced his first solo collection and his well known YSL trademark. In addition to his couture, he is known for his fine jeweled compacts.
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Plate 5
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- Stratton of London, Stratton Convertible - The Queen’s Silver Jubilee Wedgwood Compact of 1977, in presentation box. Silver plated compact with central medallion of Queen Elizabeth II by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd. 8.5 x 9cm diameter. Marked inside “Silver plated lid & case” and “Pat.764125”. Marked on back “Stratton England”. Stratton issued this compact to mark the 25th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, daughter of George VI and Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
- Lin-Bren - patent leather box purse with compact in the lid. Purse is 20cm high with handle, compact is 7cm in diameter. Compact inscribed inside “Made in U.S.A.”. Purse inscribed inside “Lin-Bren, Made in U.S.A.” and “Patent 2425540”. The beige satin material in the lid bears the autograph of Michael Ansara, signed “Michael Ansara Cochise”. Ansara was a star of the 1956 TV show Broken Arrow, where he played the character Cochise, a native American. Though he was Lebanese, he became famous for playing this role and others as native Americans.
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Plate 6
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- Constance Bennett - Constance Bennett Beauty Bar in gift box. The box is 14cm wide and contains foundation crème, face powder, rouge, eye shadow and lipstick in a set designed for the light complexion. Constance Bennett (1905-1965) , the elder sister of actresses Joan and Barbara Bennett, became a comic silent film actress at the age of 17 at Goldwyn studios. After several marriages, one to a French Marquis, and a life in the international party set, she returned to films in the 1930s playing drama and comedy roles and eventually becoming a film producer as well. She became the highest paid actress in Hollywood and started her own cosmetic company, which she promoted in a short film about her daily beauty regimen.
- Richard Hudnut - Deauville “Doublette” turquoise guilloché tango compact vanity with lipstick in presentation box. 5.25cm diameter, 17.5cm length with chain. Inscribed inside “Deauville Richard Hudnut, Made in U.S.A., Pat. 12-2-24”. The lipstick tube is similarly inscribed with the added “Pat. 1632764”. Richard Hudnut, the son of Alexander Hudnut, owner of a New York area drug store, began his cosmetic career in 1903. His salons were successful and his company became one of the foremost cosmetic companies in the U.S.A.
- Richard Hudnut – “DuBarry” compact in presentation box. 3.25 x 5.25cm. The Dubarry trademark was the first cosmetic line created by Richard Hudnut for this father’s drug store. He named it after the Comtesse Jeanne duBarry who he felt conveyed the essence of femininity.
- Cartier – 14k gold and sapphire vanity with compact and lipstick in presentation box with Cartier logo. 6.25 x 4cm. Marked inside “Cartier” and “V.N.O.N. (?)”. The presentation box and the interior of the vanity are both inscribed“To Mariana Sarrica on the occasion of her debut April 8, 1936Town Hall New York From Jessie Donohue”. Marianna Sarrica did not achieve fame but Jessie Woolworth Donohue, as one of the daughters of F.W. Woolworth, was born to it. F.W., creator of the 5¢-10¢stores that bore his name, was one of the richest men in the nation. Jessie, one of his 3 daughters, was an intimate of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor whom she met in Palm Beach after they had been banished to the Bahamas by the King. She used some of her fortune on gifts for them from Cartier and Van Cleef and Arpels, as well as the loan of private yachts and luxury rail cars so the Duke and Duchess could travel in style. She married James Donohue, a playboy gambler and alcoholic, notorious in the social circles of New York and Palm Beach, who even stole his own wife’s jewels to pay his gambling debts. Her son, Jimmie Donohue, was also a notorious drinker and playboy. Cartier is a luxury jewelry company begun in 1898 by Alfred Cartier and his son Louis as Alfred Cartier & Fils. The partnership was built on the business foundation established by Louis Francoise Cartier, Alfred’s father, as early as 1847. Early in the 20th century, under the leadership of Pierre and Jacques Cartier, brothers of Louis, the firm expanded across Europe with luxury jewelry shops and became the jewelers for the British Royal family. By 1909 the first New York shop opened on Fifth Avenue. Famous pieces designed by Cartier include the 69.42 karat Taylor-Burton Diamond ring and the 152.35 karat sapphire Panthère brooch purchased by the Duke of Windsor for the Duchess in 1948.
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Plate 7
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- Princess Marcella Borghese – gold metal compact with interlocking heart design in red and blue guilloché cells. 5 x 5cm. Marked “Princess Marcela Borghese” inside. Princess Marcella Borghese was an Italian socialite and the wife of Prince Paolo Borghese, the Duke of Bomarzo. The Prince was a member of the famous Borghese family that produced many religious figures, one Pope (Paul V), the Borghese Gardens and the well known Galleria Borghese, one of Rome’s foremost Museums. In 1958, the Princess began her cosmetics enterprise with her own recipes as a subsidiary of Revlon.
- Lady
Vanity – gold metal compact with zippered closure, simulated leather look on top and bottom. Lid features a bullfighter in colored enamels. 9.25 x 8.5cm. Signature “Annette Honeywell” appears beneath bullfighter’s cape. Interior puff inscribed “Lady Vanity”. Annette Honeywell was a noted artist and designer in the mid-20th century. She created a series of compacts with the Lady Vanity trademark with images of a bullfighter, an oriental dancer and a child on a merry-go-round among others.
- Unknown maker – black plastic compact with colorful decal lid with portraits of King George VI and the Queen Mother of Great Britain on the occasion of the Coronation of the King. 7.5cm diameter. The King (1895-1952) was christened Albert Arthur Frederick George and served as Prince Albert, Duke of York (1920-1936). He acceded as George VI following his brother's (Edward VIII, who became the Duke of Windsor) abdication on 11 Dec 1936. His brother abdicated after only 326 days as King in order to marry a commoner, the socialite Wallis Warfield Simpson from the United States who became the Duchess of Windsor. George married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923, who bore him two daughters, Elizabeth (who became Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret. The reign of George VI was marked by World War II (when the Royal Family refused to leave Buckingham Palace in spite of the danger of Nazi bombings, to inspire Britons to be brave) and the relinquishment of the title of Emperor of India, following the partition of India in 1947 into Pakistan and India. George VI had cancer of the lung (one lung had be removed). He died of cancer after a long illness. His wife, Elizabeth, affectionately known as the Queen Mum, survived until the turn of the Millennium and remained an inspiration to her countrymen until she died.
- Gorham – sterling compact with ornate rose repoussé design on lid. Marked “Gorham Sterling 325” by hinge. 7.5cm diameter. Gorham Silver Company founded in 1831 when Jabez Gorham, a jeweler, began making coin silver spoons in New England. Gorham dominated American silver in the 19th and 20th centuries crafting beautiful flatware, larger pieces and one-of-a-kind presentation pieces, like the monument of George Washington in the Capitol Rotunda 8n Washington D.C. and the statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the Museum of Natural History in New York. Many U.S. Presidents have chosen Gorham to supply the silver for the White House during their administrations. Gorham artisans also designed several famous trophies like the Davis Cup (yachting) and the Borg-Warner Trophy (Indianapolis 500). The company has won many international awards and continues as a maker of quality silver today.
- Tiffany – sterling and 14k gold tango vanity. Lid features rose and yellow gold striping and a central cartouche with the initials “MTL”. Marked “Tiffany & Co. Sterling and 14K” on inside by clasp. 3.6 x 7.5cm, 20cm length with chain. Establish in 1837 as Tiffany and Young, stationer and fancy goods emporium at 259 Broadway in New York City. In 1851 Tiffany became the first American company to adopt the 925/1000 silver standard that became the standard for sterling. By 1853 the business was known as Tiffany & Co. It has long been the standard for luxury silver, platinum, jewelry and diamonds.
- E. B. M. Company – silver metal vanity with handle. 4.5 x 7.5cm. including handle. Colorful flapper figure in cloche hat on front, decal of buildings from the Century of Progress Exhibition Chicago, 1933 on reverse. Marked inside “E.B.M. Co. Made in U.S.A.”. Tag attached to the compact reads “Christie’s East June 16, 1988 455/ 5”(in a circle). This compact is noteworthy because it was sold at the first auction featuring compacts - the official birth of the compact as a true collectible. The auction at Christie’s East featured Art Deco and Art Nouveau objects, and the compacts were offered in groups of 5. This was the fifth one in group #455.
- Darnée - silver metal vanity and mascara with scene of a castle and the name “Colleen Moore” on the lids. “Darnée Perfumer New York” inscribed on back of each. Compact 4.5 x 5 cm, mascara octagon 3.5cm diameter. Colleen Moore (née Kathleen Morrison [1900]) was taken into the movies by D.W. Griffith as repayment for the favor done by her uncle, Walter Howey, Editor of the Chicago Examiner, who helped Griffith get his films Intolerance and Birth of a Nation by the censors. In the 1920s she achieved fame as the quintessential jazz age flapper in many films, like Lilac Time, for First National Studios. She was a lover of doll houses and in the late 20s she created, with professional art and set designers from First National, her 8’7” x 8’2” x 7’7” Fairy Castle complete in every detail inside and out at a cost of nearly $500, 000. It can be visited today at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The castle on the compact and mascara is a representation of the Fairy Castle.
- Rigaud - gold metal compact inscribed “Mary Garden Rigaud Paris Parfumer” on the lid with a seal on the reverse that reads “Manufactures in the New York laboratories by Rigaud Paris Chair Flesh Tint”. 6.5cm diameter. Mary Garden (née Mary Davidson [1877] in Scotland) was one of the leading sopranos in the early 20th century. She became famous first in Paris for her roles of Louise from the opera of that name and of Mélisande in Pelleas and Mélisande , a role created for her by Debussy. In the US she was noted for her roles as Tosca and Salome and was associated with the opera in Chicago from 1910 to 1931. Rigaud developed an extensive line of makeup and cosmetic products with her name and with advertising featuring her image in various roles.
- Tiffany – sterling compact with 14k gold and sapphire embellishment as focal point for radiating Deco design on front. 5.75 x6cm. Marked inside “Tiffany & Co. sterling 14k” and the number “11256” in stylized linear letters.
- LaBara (American Products Co.) - gold metal rouge compact with the profile of the actress Theda Bara in her role as Cleopatra.3.75cm diameter. LaBara was a cosmetic line created by Theda Bara(née Theodosia Goodman [1890] in Cincinnati, Ohio). She became famous for her femme fatale roles and her mysterious past, which she invented, as a Saharan-born love child of a French artist and his Egyptian mistress. She maintained Nubian servants and received the press while stroking a serpent. She was known as “The Vamp” from her role in her first big film A Fool There Was (1915). She played many vamp roles until 1919 when she carried her persona to Broadway.
- Darnée - gold metal vanity and mascara with Classical scene and the name “Lola Montez” on the lids. “Darnée Perfumer New York” inscribed on back of each. Compact 4.5 x 5 cm, mascara octagon 3.5cm diameter. Lola Montez, born Eliza Gilbert in Limerick, Ireland in 1818, was a famous beauty, femme fatale, adventuress and mistress to many famous men including Franz Liszt, Victor Hugo and King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Her outrageous life brought her fame, and she became one of the first, if not the first, people famous for being famous. She was also the author of The Arts of Beauty: Secrets of a Lady’s Toilet (1858), a book of advice and recipes for beauty preparations. Ironically, she advocated only the barest use of makeup and she particularly detested eye shadow! Why Darnée chose her as the namesake for this line of makeup is unknown. She died in 1861 of a stroke.
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- Elgin American – silver metal Bird-in-Hand vanity designed by Salvador Dali with lid and reverse accented with gold tone highlights on wing tips. 11.5 x 6.5cm. Includes lipstick in bird’s head, powder under wings and a pill box in the tail. Signed by Dali on the bird’s head and marked “Elgin American Made in USA” inside. Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was a Spanish designer, painter, sculptor, film designer and graphic artist whose name became synonymous with Surrealism in the 20th century. He believed in ‘critical paranoia”, the cultivation of delusion with the conscious suspension of reason and will. He lived in the USA from 1940 to 1955 and became a commercial success. During this period he designed the Bird-in-Hand for Elgin American. In advertising, this compact was described as an “exultant expression of an artist’s dream…lofty spirit of fashion, released from all earthbound tradition.”
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Plate 9
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- Eisenberg – gold metal compact with extravagant multi-colored faux gems on the lid. 7.75 x 7.5cm. Marked“Henriette” inside and “Eisenberg Original” on the base. Eisenberg has been a name for fine costume jewelry for over90 years. The company was founded in 1914 by Jonas Eisenberg that originally manufactured clothing and jeweled accessories accented by Austrian rhinestones from the Swarovski Company. Eisenberg costume jewelry was first produced about 1930 and continues in production today. The pieces are famous for the brilliance, bright colors, clarity and fine manufacture. Their early jewelry was not marked, but from 1935to about 1945 the trademark “Eisenberg Original” was used. Other marks used by the company include a script letter “E”(1941-45), “Eisenberg Sterling” (1941-45), “Eisenberg” in script (1935 and after), “EisenbergIce” in block letters (1945-58) and “Eisenberg Ice”in script (1970 and after). Much of their later work was not marked at all. In the 1940s the company joined forces with Henriette and Dorset Fifth Avenue to provide jeweled decoration for powder compacts.
- Paul Flato – gold metal compact/lipstick in black fabric pouch. Both lipstick tube and compact are decorated with curving abstract floral applied metal strips and Tiffany cut turquoise rhinestone. 6.5 x 5.5cm. The lid of the powder well is inscribed “Flato”. Paul Flato was a famous jewelry designer who catered to the stars of Hollywood from his shop on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. In the 1920s and 30s he also had shops in Beverly Hills and New York. Some stars who loved his designs include Fanny Brice, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Katherine Hepburn, Coco Chanel and Joan Crawford - and many others. His jewels appeared in many movies – Katherine Hepburn wore his designs in Holiday, Constance Bennett in Topper, Merle Oberon in That Uncertain Feeling. Flato was particularly famous for his 18K yellow gold “Nuts and Bolts” cufflinks that became the rage of Hollywood. Many of Flato’s designs had whimsical detail like these cufflinks – and this is also true of his compact designs. Many are figural, some are geometric and stylish – but they are all known for their high quality and collectibility.
- Stratton of London – gold metal compact embellished with Swarovski crystals in an abstract floral pattern by the noted designed of minaudières and accessories, Kathrine Baumann. 7.25cm diameter. Marked “Katherine Baumann Collectibles Beverly Hills” on the reverse. Kathrine Baumann is a contemporary designer who began her career as a film and TV actress in movies and shows like The Thing with 2 Heads, Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Fantasy Island, CHIPS, Knight Rider and the Dukes of Hazzard. She also acted as spokes model for Schlitz, Rubbermaid and several other companies. Her show business career ended when she was injured in a disfiguring accident, but her career as an artist and designer working with her own designs and franchises for designs from Disney, Campbell’s Soup, McDonalds and Coca Cola to name but a few, has brought her fame and fortune.
- Unknown maker – gold metal compact with a photo of the Beatles on the lid. 8.5cm diameter. Marked “Made in England” inside. The Beatles (the Fab Four), the quintessential boy band, was the descendent of several groups organized by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison – The Black Jacks, The Quarry Men, The Beetles, The Silver Beetles, The Silver Beatles, The Beat Brothers. John Lennon gave the group its final name in Hamburg in 1960. It was when they were playing London clubs like the Cavern Club and the Top Ten Club, that they were noticed by Brian Epstein. They auditioned for George Martin on June 4, 1962 with Pete Best as the drummer. Soon thereafter Pete Best was fired and Ringo Starr joined the group. Their appearances created mania wherever they went, and they achieved world-wide fame, which continues undiminished today.
- Virgin Records America – Spellbound CD by Paula Abdul in case in the form of a compact with lush puff and fold-out directory of songs. Inscribed “Spellbound” on lid. 14cm diameter. Spellbound was a smash hit CD released in 1991. Paula Julie Abdul was born in California in 1963. She aspired early to be a dancer, and after becoming a cheerleader for the LA Lakers she became choreographer for that group in the early 1980s. Eventually, she choreographed several movies including Coming to America and Private School. She went on to choreograph many stars like Janet Jackson, George Michael, Debbie Gibson and ZZ Top in music videos. She made the leap to singing recording in 1988 with the release of Forever Your Girl, her debut album that sold over 10 million copies worldwide. In 1991 Spellbound was released and most critics feel that it was her best work to date. In the 1990s she branched into appearances in TV series and movies, exercise videos and dance education. Currently, she is a judge on the TV show American Idol.
- Boots – gold metal compact depicting the Beatles dressed as Sargeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for the album of that name. Images of American monuments are behind them and “Beatles American Tour” is printed above. 7.5cm diameter. Inscribed “Made in Great Britain” inside. This compact commemorates the Beatles second and last tour of the USA in August, 1966 and was made for distribution in the UK. Since the famous photo shoot for the cover of the Sargeant Pepper album, from which this image is taken, occurred in March, 1967, and Paul had shaved his mustache off by late April, this compact probably dates to March-April, 1967.
- Unknown maker – gold metal compact with a photo of dancers on the lid inscribed “The Waltz by Arthur Murray”. 7 x 7cm. Signed on the back in ball point pen “To Ann with love Arthur Murray” next to a coat of arms with lion rampant to the left on a shield topped by a horse or antelope with a horn. A scroll beneath reads “Leadership Authority”. Inscribed inside “Presented by Arthur Murray”. Arthur Murray (née Arthur Moses Teichman [1895] East Harlem, NY) became an architect early in his life, but fell in love with dance after studying with Vernon and Irene Castle. He was the first to sell dance steps through the mail and with his wife, Kathryn, he organized a string of dancing schools beginning in Atlanta with the Arthur Murray Correspondence School of Dancing, many of which still operate today. He was a prolific author of how-to books of dance, and was the host, along with Kathryn, of his popular TV show, Arthur Murray Dance Party from 1950 to 1961, from which the photo on the lid is taken.
- Reinke-Ellis Co. - silver metal cookie advertising compact designed to look like a Victor phonograph record of Enrico Caruso’s recording of Celestial Aida (88127) (1911). Caruso is depicted above the title. Below, is the address of Clark Music Stores in Buffalo, N.Y. 5.5cm diameter. Marked “Reinke-Ellis Chicago New York” on the edge. Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) was the pre-eminent Italian tenor of the 20th century. A native of Naples, Italy, he was born into an impoverished family and was the first of his 20 siblings to survive infancy. By age 10 he was well known for his singing and spent his teens singing in local waterfront cafes. In 1898, at age 25, after a stint in the army, he starred in several productions in Naples and Caserta, and most notably in Milan, where his performance in Fedora at the Opera Lirico won him worldwide acclaim. In 1903 he debuted in Rigoletto at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and began a lifelong association with that organization, during which he sang over 50 operatic roles, most notably in La Bohème, Tosca and I Pagliacci. Newly arrived Italian immigrants numbered over 3 million between 1900 and 1920, and most of them flocked to the Metropolitan at one time or another to see Caruso, making him phenomenally popular. Caruso took full advantage of the newly developing medium of the phonograph record, and through his recordings for the Victor Talking Machine Company he spread his popularity across the country and around the world. In fact, during his lifetime Victor paid him about $1, 825, 000, $130, 000 more than his lifetime earnings at the Met. And since his death his estate has earned more than $2, 000, 000 more from these recordings! Caruso died of pleurisy in Naples in 1921.
- Judith Leiber – gold metal compact with brilliant floral burst done in colorful Swarovski crystals on a black ground. 5.5cm diameter. Signed on inner rim “Judith Leiber®”. Judith Leiber, a native of Budapest, Hungary, learned the art of purse-making during World War II. She married an American GI after the war and the couple moved to New York. After several years of employment with handbag manufacturers in New York, she launched her own company in 1963. Her colorful and innovative designs made her famous in the fashion world. Since 1953, all the American First Ladies have carried Judith Leiber creations to their husbands’ inaugurations. She retired in 1998, but her company continues.
- Volupté – gold metal music box/vanity with line of music and rhinestone note on the lid. 8.25 x 5.75cm. Plays a waltz of unknown title. Autographed on the back in ink marker “Liberace” with a drawing of a piano and candelabra. Liberace (Wladziu Valentino Liberace [1919] Wisconsin) was born to parents of Italian and Polish heritage and into a musical family. The renowned Polish pianist Paderwski recommended he receive a scholarship to the Wisconsin College of Music, and he also studied privately. Florence Bettray Kelly, a protege of Moritz Rosenthal, took charge of his classical training which culminated with his debut at age 14 as soloist with the Chicago Symphony under the direction of Dr. Frederick Stock. By 1947, his night club dates took him to the Persian Room in New York's Plaza Hotel where he appeared with his own oversized grand piano and his first trademark, a glittering candelabra. By that date he had dropped his first two names, opting to use the elegant "Liberace" exclusively. In the early 1950s he appeared in films and in 1952 his TV series began. By 1954 it was carried on over 200 American stations and in 20 foreign countries. In 1953, Liberace played to a capacity crowd at Carnegie Hall and in the same year made record-breaking appearances at Madison Square Garden, the Hollywood Bowl and Chicago's Soldiers Field with audiences topping 100, 000. In 1955, he opened in the Las Vegas Riviera Hotel as the highest paid entertainer in the city's history. He also made another movie, "Sincerely Yours." Later he gained fame as an author, as founder of the Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts and as the quintessential Las Vegas showman where he appeared draped in furs and jewels. His signature is famous as it appears on this compact :
Plate 10
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- Fabergé – gold and silver or platinum compact with central medallion of the Russian Imperial Romanov double-headed eagle on a white enameled guilloché field, embellished with acabochon ruby and old mine diamonds on the eagles and the surrounding bezel. Flanking the medallion are daggers with anchor and torch handles also studded with old mine diamonds. The clasp is also studded with these diamonds. 7.5 x 5.25cm. Marked (Fabergé in Russian characters), “EK” (Erik Kollin) and “56”(gold warrant 56) in two areas inside. Inscribed “June” in the powder well. Fabergé was a jewelry firm founded in 1842 by Gustave Fabergé. The family became associated with the Russian Royal family, the Romanovs, when the Empress Maria bought a pair of cufflinks for the Czar Alexander III. They were a hit and established the firm in Russian society. Peter Karl Faberge, the son of Gustave and a designer, became famous for the elaborate jeweled eggs presented to the Czar and his family every Easter, designed by him but created by his staff of skilled gold and silver smiths. The Czar appreciated his work so much that his firm was designated as “Supplier to the Imperial Court” in 1885 and he was allowed to incorporate the Imperial Russian double-headed eagle into the firm’s emblem. Erik August Kollin (1836-1901) became his first Chief Jeweler in the 1870sin St. Petersberg, a post he held until 1886 when he was replaced by Michael Perchin. He specialized in gold and silver articles. The replicas of the Scythian Treasures, exhibited at the 1885 Nuremberg Exhibition, were made in his workshop. The Fabergés were forced to flee during the Russian Revolution, so they settled in Paris where they thrived. Their remaining inventory was entrusted by the family to the Hermitage Museum, but it was sold off by the Soviet government, much of it ending up in the United States.
Plate 11
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- Artist signed “E. Dropsy” – sterling chatelaine in the Art Nouveau style with a repoussé scene depicting the figure of a woman drinking from a cup held by cupid at a well. The chatelaine includes a clip, a compact with puff, a mirror and a tube that may be a lipstick. The compact and mirror both have images of a dragonfly and iris in repoussé on the reverse. The lipstick, mirror and compact are inscribed “Fontaine de Jouvence” (Fountain of Youth) and signed “E. Dropsy”. All the pieces have marks possibly representing the city and date of manufacture as well as the standard of silver used. Each item is attached with a large bell shaped link that is inscribed “B (illegible mark) GEC (?)”. 39cm total length. “E. Dropsy” is Jean-Baptists Émil Dropsy (1848-1923) a noted Parisian medalist, and father and teacher of Henri Dropsy (1885-1969) who was even more famous in the field of medal making than his father and worked in the Art Deco style.
Patriotic/Political
Examples with patriotic or political themes,
usually from the era of World War II.
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Plate 12
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- Henriette – plastic compact in the shape of a U.S. serviceman’s hat. Navy blue with black rim and gold insignia of shield topped with eagle facing right.. 7.5cm diameter.
- Henriette - plastic compact in the shape of a U.S. serviceman’s hat. Red top, white stripe, blue rim and gold insignia of shield centered on eagle facing left and topped by globe. 7.5cm diameter.
- Henriette - plastic compact in the shape of a U.S. serviceman’s hat. Olive drab top, brown rim and gold insignia of shield centered on eagle facing left and topped by globe. 7.5cm diameter.
- Unknown maker – sterling compact in the shape of a U.S. serviceman’s hat. Brim strip in relief above brim and below insignia of shield topped with eagle facing right. 7.5cm diameter. Marked “sterling” on base.
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Plate 13
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- Unknown maker – gold metal vanity with enamel top depicting pale blue sky and cloud background on front behind an image of the 48 star U.S. flag and the phrase “God Bless America”. 7.5 x 6cm .
- Rex “Handy Andy”– fabric pouch for powder with large puff inside and mirror on base. Drawstring closure. 10cm diameter. Advertised as being made completely of non-essential materials in “United Nations stripes”.
- Henriette – gold metal compact and cigarette case with white enamel lid and insignia reading “Dieu et mon droit”. Interior label reads “Sole authentic case for the benefit of British War Relief Society and Bundles for Britain”. Compact is 7.5 x 7.5cm, case is 7.5 x 13.25cm. When Great Britain was under siege in World War II, Americans expressed sympathy and showed their support for the British people in a variety of ways. All over the USA school children prepared packages of toys, food and essentials to send to England. Theses compacts and accessories were sold to benefit this cause.
- Unknown maker, possibly German – gold metal and simulated tortoise shell vanity with map of the U.S. Zone of Germany post World War II with cities labeled. Lipstick tube at top and manicure set in compartment opened from back. 5 x 9.5cm. This set is composed of 5 implements including a scissors inscribed “Rahi Germany”. Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union occupied Germany at the end of the Second World War. Each country controlled a zone.
- Unknown maker – gold metal compact with silver metal and gold metal lid depicting a plane flying from West Germany (shown as a map with labeled cities) to Berlin in East Germany with red arrows to Berlin from the cities of Fürstenfeldbruck, Weisbaden, Wenstorf and Fuhlsbüttel. 10cm diameter. After World War II the allies remained in control of Berlin, which was surrounded by the Soviet zone, and divided the city into four sectors. Cooperation broke down in 1947 and early 1948, and the three Western powers decided to create a separate West German government in their zones. The Soviets tried to dissuade them by gradually escalating harassment of Western traffic to and from the city, which culminated in the Berlin blockade, imposed 24 June 1948. It lasted until September, 1949.
- Unknown maker – gold metal compact with lid decorated with stars and an eagle and shield facing left. Two banners read “United We Stand”. 7.5 x 7.5cm.
- Girey – silver metal vanity with turquoise glitter surface and an American eagle insignia on the lid. Marked “Girey” with a coat-of-arms on
powder well. 4.5 x 8cm.
- Coty “Flying Colors” triple vanity – gold metal vanity in shape of 2 wings with lipstick tube in the center. Inscribed “Coty New York” on reverse.
- Unknown maker – gold metal vanity with enamel top depicting a battleship and the phrase “Aloha U.S. Navy”. 7.5 x 6cm .
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Plate 14
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- Estēe Lauder, “New York Spirit” compact – gold metal heart/apple shaped compact with design of American flag in crystals and small apple leaf in gold metal as a charm on top. 5 x 5cm. Created after September 11, 2001 to commemorate those who died at the World Trade Center on that day.
- Unknown maker – gold metal oval compact with copper metal U.S. serviceman’s cap on lid. Cap has eagle insignia and is inscribed “Mother”. 7.5 x 6cm
- Evans – gold metal sweetheart compact with decal of the American flag on the lid surrounded by the phrase “God Bless America”. 6.5 x 6.5cm. Inside, a chrome plate that serves as the mirror lifts to expose a frame for a small photograph.
- Volupté – gold metal compact with red, white and blue enamel lid and the phrase “Elect Willkie President”. Powder well lid inscribed “Volupté USA” and the interior of the powder well is inscribed “Leak Proof”. Wendell Lewis Willkie, 1892–1944), was an American industrialist and political leader and president of the Commonwealth and Southern Corp., a giant utility holding company. Although a Democrat, Willkie became a leading spokesman of business interests opposed to the New Deal of President Roosevelt. He enrolled as a Republican in 1940 and in that year was nominated by the Republican Party for the presidency. In his campaign he endorsed President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's foreign policy but attacked the New Deal at home. Although defeated in the election, he polled more than 22 million votes
- Unknown maker – silver metal vanity with brown enamel lid depicting 3 airplanes flying over clouds in relief. 3.75 x 6.5cm.
- Mealy Manufacturing Company, Chapeau Vanite Puff Box – silver metal infantryman’s hat on tango chain. 6.5cm diameter. Insert inside reads” Refill for the Chapeau Vanite (sic) Puff Box…The Mealy Manufacturing Co. Baltimore Trade Duo Mark Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.” Inscribed on the bottom “Pat.Pend Duo”.
- Unknown maker, Parisian Jeweled Compact with tango chain – gold metal compact with central medallion on lid of unknown material depicting the Liberty Bell with green and red rhinestone and inscribed “Sesquicentennial 1776-1926 Philadelphia, PA.”. 6.25cm diameter, 23cm total length with chain and tassel. Insert inside reads ” The ingredients in this Parisian Jeweled Compact are guaranteed to be of absolute purity and noted for permanence and adherence. JOLIE AMOUR POUDRE.”
- Unknown maker – wooden compact with painting on the lid of a couple holding hands in front of a service hat topped with the phrase “Until we meet again”. 7 x 7.5cm. Inside “PAT. PEND.” is incised near powder well. A handwritten paper insert reads, ”Gift Dec. 1942 in the service”.
- Unknown maker – sterling compact, brushed surface with polished inset V (victory) in copper color with service insignia. 6.5 x 6.5cm. Sticker on mirror reads
“sterling”.
Souvenirs/Advertisements
Examples produced as a souvenir of a place or event or
to advertise some specific product or service
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Plate 15
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- Stratton of London– Stratton Convertible - gold metal compact with dark blue enamel lid and gold logo reading, ”Collection Venice-Simplon Orient Express”. 8.5cm diameter. “Pat. 784123” engraved by powder well. This compact was issued at the reopening of the Venice-Simplon Orient Express train from London to Venice in 1982. In the nineteenth century, Georges Nagelmackers, a young Belgian railway enthusiast, began building luxury railway carriages. In 1881 after experimenting with several demands, Nagelmackers introduced the first restaurant car aboard a continental train. With sleeping carriages and restaurant cars in place, Nagelmackers was finally able to fulfill his dream and on 4 October 1883 the first Orient-Express train service was inaugurated. The initial route ran from Paris to Giurgi (on the Danube in Romania), via Strasbourg, Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest. The Simplon Tunnel - at 12½ miles, the world's longest - was built in 1906, cutting the trip from Paris to Venice significantly, and by 1921 the Orient-Express was running an extended Simplon-Orient-Express route to Istanbul. The 1920s and 1930s were the heyday of the legendary train. Elaborate meals, decadent company and fine wines characterized this era of rail travel. Royalty, celebrities, courtesans and spies intermingled as they traveled in opulence throughout Europe. The Second World War put an end to all of this. Ferry services were cancelled and cross-frontier travel became impossible. In the depression that followed, the economy put an end to opulent travel. Air travel was faster and cheaper and although the Orient-Express continued to operate until May 1977, its final run consisted of just one shabby sleeping compartment and three day cars. The fabled train was saved by entrepreneur and rail enthusiast, James B. Sherwood when, he bought two of the trains carriages at a Sotheby's auction in Monte Carlo in 1977. In the next few years US$16 million were spent locating, purchasing and restoring some 35 vintage sleepers, Pullmans and restaurant cars. On 25 May 1982 the legend the refurbished luxury Venice Simplon-Orient-Express made its maiden run from London to Venice.
- Unknown maker – silver metal compact with gold metal scenes of Boy Scout activities. The central medallion on the lid features a wolf head and the inscription “Boy Scouts BSA” and the engraved initials “H.C.” 6 x 7cm. Inside, “Made in U.S.A.” is engraved on the powder well.
- Wadsworth – gold and silver metal compact with a map of the United States labeled with many cities and symbols. 7.5 x 7.5cm. Inside “Wadsworth Made in the U.S.A.” is engraved on the powder well.
- Elgin American – gold metal compact engraved with two-metal gold scene of Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles, with landmarks labeled and highlighted with red, green and yellow enamel. 7 x 8.5cm (widest point). Inside “Elgin American Made in U.S.A.” is engraved on the powder well.
- Bell DeLuxe – lucite compact with hand painted scene of the Louvre Museum, Paris, France on the lid. 10cm diameter. Inside, label on mirror reads, ”Genuine Lucite hand painted”. Puff is labeled “Bell DeLuxe.”
- Maker unknown – gold metal compact with colorful enamel lid depicting a map of Canada and the Parliament House in Ottawa. 7.75cm diameter. Inside “Made in Great Britain” is inscribed at the base of the mirror.
- Elgin American - gold metal compact engraved with two-metal gold scene of market and Powell Streets in San Francisco, with a cable car and other details highlighted with red, green, black and yellow enamel. 7 x 8.5cm (widest point). Inside “Elgin American Made in U.S.A.” is engraved on the powder well.
- Unknown maker – silver metal compact with black enameled lid that is made to look like an addressed envelope. An inscription on the lid reads, “Madame Un Souvenir del’Exposition Internationale Paris 1937.” In the upper right there is a French postage stamp that appears to be lacquered commemorating this exposition. 7.5 x 5.75cm. Inside“M.I. Austria” is engraved on the mirror rim. This Parisian Exposition of arts and techniques was particularly notable as a showcase for the works of artists like Picasso, Brancusi and Raymond Loewy.
- Stratton of London – Gold metal compact with and enamel lid depicting birthday symbols and inscribed with many ways to say “Happy Birthday” in several languages. 7cm diameter. Inside “Stratton” is engraved on the powder well. On the reverse, “Stratton Made in England” is engraved in the center on a bed of stars.
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Plate 16 |
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- Agme – gold metal compact with ribbed lid and central are showing two photos. Below the photos the word “Africa” is engraved. Wheels on the right and left sides can be turned to change the photos in each slot, showing various views of Africa. 7.5 x 6.5cm. Inside “AGME Made in Switzerland” is engraved on the powder well lid.
- Cigogne, Inc. – gold metal compact with the logo of the Stork Club in New York City. 6.75cm diameter. Label on reverse reads, “Compressed powder Copper Cigogne, Inc. Dist. N.Y.N.Y.” From 1929, when the club began as a speakeasy, to 1965 the Stork Club was the spot where celebrities gathered and the press watched them. It was created by Sherman Billingsly, a bootlegger who did time in Leavenworth and then came to New York to be the darling of café society with regulars like the Kennedy family, Walter Winchell, Ethel Merman, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly and the Prince, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Marilyn Monroe who gathered at the Stork to party. It was, if not the birthplace, then the nursery for the cult of celebrity that we know today. After problems with local labor unions, Billingsly went bankrupt and closed the club in 1965.
- Unknown maker – gold metal heart shaped compact with an enamel rendition of Niagara Falls and the phrase “Niagara Falls” written to the left on the lid. 7.5 x 7.25cm.
- Evans – gold metal compact with starburst relief on lid and central logo of the American Stock Exchange. 6.5 x 6.5cm. Engraved inside with Evans logo.
- Stratton of London – gold metal compact with an enamel view of the R.M.S. Mauretania on the lid. 8.5 x 7cm. “Stratton” and compact in hand logo engraved on the powder well. The Mauretania, second to bear the name under the Cunard-White Star flag, was built by Cammell Laird and Co. Ltd., Birkenhead, England and launched in 1939. It was the largest British ship built up to that time. It served as a troop ship during WWII and was refitted for passenger service in 1947. It offered the same first class service for over 1000 passengers though on a much smaller scale than Cunard's wonder ships, the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, and enjoyed immense popularity in the transatlantic trade among those passengers who preferred the atmosphere of a smaller ship. It was sold for scrap in 1965.
- Unknown maker – gold metal compact with cut-away 3 dimensional view of flamingos, palms and an orange tree all colorfully painted on the lid with the back of the mirror inside as the background. “FLORIDA” is cut away above. 6 x 7cm.
- Unknown maker – silver metal octagonal compact with a central bronze medallion on the lid. The medallion has a profile of George Washington in relief facing right surrounded by stars and the words, ”Sesquicentennial International Exposition Philadelphia 1926”. 5cm diameter. An insert reads, “The medal contained in this case was coined by the United States Treasury Department as part of the exhibit of the United States Mint to illustrate the process of coining money at the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition Philadelphia 1926”.
- Unknown maker – gold metal vanity in a shape reminiscent of a camera. Central medallion with a transfer picture of the Statue of Liberty under plastic. This lifts to show the compact. Two “knobs” on the bottom are lipstick (left) and perfume bottle (right). Engraved on the bottom “PAT. PEND.”
- Unknown maker – silver metal compact with a transfer picture of the Empire State Building with a single engine airplane flying by. 5.25 x 5.25cm.
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Plate 17
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- Girey - gold metal and pink pearlescent plastic vanity with a central panel depicting the Hall of Science from the Chicago World’s Fair 1933-34. 8 x 4.5cm. Inscribed inside, “By Girey” and “Pat.Pend.U.S. and Foreign”. A Century of Progress International Exposition was held in 1933 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Chicago. Its theme, was to demonstrate scientific discoveries, the methods of achieving them, and the changes which their application has brought to industry and in life done through exhibits that appealed to the public in general, often with miniaturized or replicated processes.
- Unknown maker – cookie compact with pop-off lid depicting on one side the Natural Bridge Hotel, Natural Bridge, VA. and on the other the Natural Bridge looking upstream. 4.75cm diameter.
- Rex Fifth Avenue – gold metal compact with woven tapestry lid depicting the Trylon and Perisphere of the 1939 New York World’s Fair. 7.25 x 7.5cm. Engraved on the powder well lid “Rex Fifth Avenue”. The theme of the Fair was "building the World of Tomorrow" through science and technology as well as the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington as the first President of the United States. The Trylon and Perisphere, painted white and lit brightly at night, were the visual icons of this world's fair.
- Girey – silver metal vanity with glitter sparkle scene beneath a protective cover of the Sky Ride at the 1933-34 Chicago Century of Progress Exhibition. 4.75 x 7.25cm. Inscribed inside, “By Girey” and “Pat.Pend.U.S. and Foreign”. The "Sky Ride" was a popular feature of the Fair. The Towers were 600 feet high and double decked rocket cars ran suspended from 4 cable tracks between and around the two towers.
- Coty – gold metal compact with Coty powder puff logo on lid designed by René Lalique. Marked “Coty Paris” on reverse. 5.25cm diameter. The powder puff logo is one of the most successful in advertising and has been the same for many decades. It says “Coty” without any words being necessary. This compact dates from the late 1920s. The powder box (8.5cm diameter, 3.75cm high) was purchased in 2003.
- Gwenda – silver metal compact with foil backed painted image of the Trylon and Perisphere of the New York World’s Fair 1939. 7.5cm diameter. Inside “Gwenda Made in England” is inscribed by the powder well.
- Unknown maker – silver metal vanity with black enamel background. The top has a flying sphere symbol and the words, “1933 A Century of Progress Chicago”. 5.25 x 4.5cm. The reverse has a Deco abstract design in relief.
- Parisian Novelty Company – silver metal cookie compact with matt finish surface. One side depicts the profile of a lady of fashion circa 1915 and the other is inscribed, “Special Room for Ladies The First National Bank Greeley, Colo. Large and small accounts appreciated”. 6cm diameter. On the edge is inscribed, “Pat11-2-15, 6-26-17 Parisian Nov. Co. Chicago”.
- Girey – silver metal vanity with turquoise glitter surface background and a scene of the Trylon and Perisphere inscribed“New York World’s Fair 1939”. 5.25 x 4.5cm. Inside a coat of arms logo inscribed “Girey” is on the powder well lid. The original box with this is marked with its original price -$11.90.
Art Movements and Styles
Vintage contemporary examples exhibiting period decoration in the Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Post-Deco Baroque and Post-Forties Modern styles.
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Plate 18
Art Nouveau
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- J.M. Fisher (?)- silver metal tango vanity with enameled iris and ivy leaf design in black, brown and cream. The unusual shape, multicolored cloisonné enamel and one link chain are usual Fisher characteristics, as is the lack of any maker’s mark. 6 x 4.5cm, 10cm length including chain. The original box is inscribed “Lavender tray creation” and “Swartzlander Jewelers Kendallville”.
- Roger and Gallet – aluminum powder box depicting are poussé design of two birds entwined in their own tail feathers with a golden tan infill emphasizing the details. The lid is signed“Lalique” on its edge. Reverse reads “Roger et Gallet Paris” . 7.5cm diameter. The design is a trademark of the Le Jadeline of fragrances made by the perfumer in the 1920s. René Lalique (1860-1945) was a noted French jeweler, glass maker and designer in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods known for his breathtaking designs drawn from nature.
- Roger and Gallet – aluminum compact similar to the powder box above, inscribed on the reverse “Poudre Roger & Gallet New York Paris Rachel Rose”. 7.5cm diameter. Also signed“Lalique” on the edge of the lid.
- Woodworth – sliver metal Karess vanity with repoussé floral and tendril design on lid. 5.25 x 4.5cm. Marked “Woodworth New York Paris Karess Pat. No. 1570382”.
- Fitch – silver metal tango vanity with niello lid depicting a female profile surrounded by olive branches and flanked by two peacocks with extended tails. Oval 7 x 5.5cm. Inside, the clip holding the puff is inscribed “Fitch”.
- Unknown maker - silver or silver metal chatelaine done with repoussé Rococo details amid Art Nouveau floral motives. The set includes a mirror, a pocket knife, a compact and a heart shaped perfume bottle. The perfume is slightly different in style and only it is marked “Sterling”. 35cm in length.
- Pompeian – gold metal compact depicting a central female figure with sensuously flowing garments holding a lamp over hear head. 6.25cm diameter. Reverse is inscribed “Pompeian Beauty Powder Compact The Pompeian Co. Cleveland O.”
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Plate 19
Art Deco |
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- Jourelle - “Seventeen” octagonal gold metal vanity with black metallic finish and stylized colorful Deco flower medallion. 4.75cm diameter. Interior inscribed “Pat. No. 1570382” on lid of rouge compartment.
- Marathon – White metal tango vanity with marbleized green and cream enamel finish with black zigzag cloisonné and hand painted roses in a flower basket on lid and rose bower on lipstick tube. 5.5 x 5.75cm, 14.5cm total length with chain. Inside inscribed “Marathon” on rouge lid and “Pat. Applied For” in powder well.
- Houbigant – gold metal vanity with green and black chevron decoration on lid. 8.5 x 5cm. Inscribed “Houbigant” on edge by opener and on lipstick tube inside..
- Elgin
American - silver metal (Elginite) vanity with blue and peach enamel cloisonné of bubbles and chevrons. 7.5 x 5.5cm, total length with chain 17cm.
- Evans – silver metal tango compact with painted enamel flower swags and Deco medallion of “Viennese enamel” cloisonné. 5.25cm diameter, total length with chain 13.5cm.
- Elgin American – silver metal (Elginite) tango saddlebag vanity with sun ray and bubble motif on green enamel lid. 6.75 x 5.5cm, total length with chain 18.5cm.
- Princess Pat – red enamel vanity with Deco chevrons in black on lid and the name “Princess Pat”. 3.75cm diameter.
- Marathon – silver metal tango vanity with Deco chevron motif in enamel on the lid done in grey, orange and black enamel. A stylized female profile is at the center. 10cm x 5.5cm, total length with chain 20.5cm. Marked “Marathon” by mirror inside.
- Unknown maker – silver metal compact with lavender enamel and stylized circle and ray Deco motif on lid.
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Plate 20
Art Deco
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- Unknown Maker (possibly French) - black Bakelite compact with fanciful cubist design in red and silver enamel on the lid. 7.5cm diameter.
- Evans – silver metal hexagonal vanity with Whoopee handle and Deco chevron and stippling design on lid. 5.5cm diameter.
- Unknown Maker (possibly French) – black and pearescent pink plastic compact with Cubist portrait done in silver, gold and red enamel. 7.5cm diameter
- Austrian maker – sterling compact with stylized tropical plant in black enamel on lid. 4.75cm diameter. Inscribed inside “NA 16 Austria sterling 935” and a hallmark reading “GSt” and another “GSt”.
- French Maker – silver metal octagonal compact with stylized scene in black enamel of Negro sax player, drummer and a couple dancing. 5cm diameter. Unusual twist mechanism employed to grind the powder fine before use. Inside grinder inscribed “Brevette S.G.D.G – U.S.A. Patent 1074525 Patented 286588 – Can. Pat. 281775 D.R.P. 476345 Etc. Etc
- Reich-Ash - gold metal vanity in the form of a book with Deco enameled lid in red, green black, beige and gold. 5 x 7cm. “DEERE” trademark on spine.
- Unknown maker (possibly Ripley and Gowan, LaMode Line) – gold metal octagonal vanity with handle and guilloche enamel front and back. Distinctive colorful Deco chevron design on lid. 5.25 x 7.75cm including handle. “Patent Pending” inscribed inside.
- Elmo – silver metal vanity with stylized floral motives surrounding a central square medallion of colorful Art Deco chevrons. 5cm diameter. Inscribed “Elmo” inside by rouge pot.
- Elgin American – silver metal (Elginite) saddlebag tango vanity with Deco zigzag enamel design on lid done in red, yellow and black. 6.75 x 5.5cm, total length with chain 18cm. Inside inscribed “Pat. Pend. on the powder well and on the reverse inscribed “Elginite”.
- Volupté – silver metal vanity with stepped profile and grey and black enamel scene depicting the Empire State Building on the lid. Inside inscribed “Volupté” on powder well and on reverse, “Empire State World’s Tallest”. 4 x 4.75cm. It is believed that this compact was sold or distributed at the opening of the Empire State Building on May 1, 1931.
- Evans – silver metal trapezoidal vanity with fixed handle and chevron and flower decoration in enamel on the lid. 11cm long including handle. Marked “Evans” by mirror inside.
- Pierre – Silver metal vanity with black and lavender chevron medallion and incised Deco stepped, swirl and chevron designs front and back. 5.25 x 4.5cm. Inscribed “Pierre” inside by rouge pot.
- Richard Hudnut – silver metal Deauville tango vanity with Cubist female profiles accented in red and black enamel on lid. Lipstick acts as tango chain. 5.75cm diameter, 12cm total length with handle. Inscribed inside “Deauville Richard Hudnut Made in USA”.
- Unknown Maker – silver metal (possibly silver) tango compact with lavender guilloche surface over engine turned design resembling Deco chevrons or electric waves. 4.5cm diameter, 45cm total length with chain. Marked “9 W55E6 ¬ &&” in powder well. .
- French Maker – silver metal compact with Deco repeating chevron motif in black enamel on lid. 5.5cm diameter. Unusual twist mechanism employed to grind the powder fine before use. Inside grinder inscribed “Brevette S.G.D.G – U.S.A. Patent 1074525 Patented 286588 – Can. Pat. 281775 D.R.P. 476345 Etc. Etc.” Also inscribed “Made in France” and Montre A Poudre” on exterior by opening.
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Plate 21
Art Deco
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- Langlois – Duska Powder box, rouge and compact all with a design generally attributed to René Lalique showing a Deco fountain motif amid bowers of flowers. The compact and rouge are accented with red enamel on the front and sides. 5cm diameter (compact). Compact and rouge inscribed on reverse “Duska Langlois New York”.
- Bourjois – Evening in Paris loose powder and compact set. Compact is silver metal with blue enamel accenting a lid with Deco sun ray motif. Compact is inscriber “Bourjois” on reverse. 4.75cm diameter.
- Elgin American – gold metal chevron shaped vanity with green enamel lid. 11.5cm in length. Inscribed “Elgin American” on powder well.
- Unknown Maker - silver metal vanity with brown enamel and silver metal zigzag design on lid. 4.25 x 4.75cm.
- Elgin American - silver metal (Elginite) octagonal tango vanity with enamel lid decorated with gold, blue and mauve Deco chevron design. 5.5cm diameter. Marked “Pat. Pend” inside.
- Woodworth – gold metal “Karess” compact with gold-on-gold zigzag motif emanating from the upper lift corner of the lid surrounded by chevron border accented in navy blue enamel. 4 x 5cm. Inscribed inside “Karess Woodworth New York Paris”.
- Melba – gold metal tango vanity with incised sun ray and floral motif on lid. 5.5 x 9cm, 24cm total length with handle. Marked “Melba” by latch and inside.
- British Maker – octagonal sterling compact with Deco sunray motif done in pink guilloche on lid. 7cm diameter. Interior marks indicate this was made in Birmingham in 1924.
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Plate 21
Post-Deco Baroque
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- Rex Fifth Avenue– gold metal compact with stylized linear and floral elements highlighted with black champlevé enamel work. 9.5 x 7cm.
- Rex Fifth Avenue – gold metal compact with green enamel highlighting stylized flowers and swirls on the lid. 8.75cm diameter.
- Evans - silver metal compact with a design done in repoussé of exaggerated leaves and tendrils. 8 x 8cm. Inside “Evans” is inscribed in the powder well.
- Elgin American – silver and gold metal “Caper” compact with three leaping gazelles on lid done in contrasting metals. 7.5 x 6cm. Inscribed “Elgin American Made in USA” on powder well.
- Rex – gold metal compact with large gold repoussé flowers with flowing leaves on a red ground on the lid. 10cm. diameter.
- Evans – sterling compact with pearlescent Lucite panel on lid depicting stylized lilies with chevron leaves. 8 x 5.5cm. Inscribed “sterling” on the front rim and “Evans” in the powder well.
- Helena Rubinstein – gold metal Valaze vanity with bold swirls accented by red enamel on lid. 7.25 x 6cm. Inscribed “Valaze” on rouge pot , “Helena Rubinstein” on reverse and “Helena Rubinstein Inc. New York Distributor Made in USA” by rear hinge.
- Evans – sterling compact with repoussé design of exaggerated flora and two leaping gazelles done in white and rose silver. 7.5cm diameter. Inscribed inside “Evans sterling”.
- Kigu – gold tone and plastic (?) with cut-out relief on lid of stylized foliage, swirls and a dancing couple. 8.25cm diameter. Marked “Kigu Made in England Patented” on the interior.
- Evans – gold metal compact with stylized floral and sunray motif on lid. 6.25 x 6.25cm.
- Evans – sterling silver compact in pink and gold tones with pillow lozenge and puffed spiral pattern on the lid. 6cm diameter. Marked “Evans U.S. pat. 2212440 Sterling” inside.
- Majestic - sterling compact with large repoussé shell on lid. Oval 7.25 x 5.5cm. Marked “Majestic Sterling” by hinge
- Unknown Maker – gold metal compact with blue enamel and gold lid featuring swirls and flowers. 5.5 x 6.5cm.
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Plate 23
Post-Forties Modern |
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- 1. Fabergé – metal compact in the shape of a triangle accented with black and white enamel and the name “Fabergé” on lid. 7cm each side.
- Rex Fifth Avenue – gold metal flapjack compact with a cartoon of a teenager on the lid ©Laura Jean Allen. 10cm diameter. Laura Jean Allen was a noted illustrator and author of children’s books like Rollo and Tweedy and the Ghost at Dougal Castle, Where is Freddy?, Rollo and Tweedy and the Case of the Missing Cheese, Ottie and the Star and at least one cookbook, She Cooks to Conquer. Some of her illustrations were used on a series of compacts by Rex Fifth Avenue, probably in the 1950s.
- Fabergé – gold metal “Raja” compact with a repeating design of elephants and palm trees in repoussé on lid and reverse. 7cm each side.
- Rex Fifth Avenue – gold metal flapjack compact with a cartoon ©Hilda Terry on lid. 8.75cm diameter. Hilda Terry d’Alessio – (1914 - ) was a well-known cartoonist and artist who created the character “Teena”, the quintessential teenage girl of the 1940s-1960s. Her cartoon strip was syndicated in newspapers from 1941 through 1966 in the USA. Several of her cartoon scenes appeared in popular magazines and on Rex compacts during this period. The artist was also a teacher and taught at the New York School for Social Research in New York City and the Phoenix School of Art and Design in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1979 she was awarded the Ruben Award for the Best Cartoonist Animator from the National Cartoonists Society.
- Unknown Maker (possibly Rex) – gold metal flapjack compact with a cartoon ©Hilda Terry on lid. 8.75cm diameter.
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Unknown Maker - gold metal compact with white mother-of-pearl pattern plastic lid with the figure of a French poodle done in silver glitter and red and white enamel. 6 x 7cm. French poodles were an especially popular design motif on fashions and accessories in the 1950s.
- Stratton – gold metal compact with a brushed gold lid and decals highlighted with hand painting depicting a teenage couple jitterbugging surrounded by musical notes, moon, stars and a kettle drum, a cymbal, a saxophone and a bass fiddle. Marked inside “Stratton” with the compact in hand logo and “Stratton Made in England” by the mirror. 7.5cm diameter.
- Gallery Originals (Avon) – aluminum “Twilight Indigo” compact with streamlined design and three cobalt blue “stones” on lid. 6.75 x 6.75cm.
Romantic/Exotic/Ethnic Places, Times and People
Examples that call to mind Classical Greece and Rome, Egypt and the Arab East, the canals of Venice, Pierrot, Negro subjects, wood nymphs, femmes, flappers and sensuous ladies, and romantic period couples.
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Plate 24
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- Stratton – gold metal compact with blue and white Jasperware lid by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd. depicting Venus and Cupid, “Cupid on a Cloud”. 8.5cm diameter. Inscribed inside “Pat. 764125” on rim by powder well and on reverse “Stratton England”.
- Stratton – gold metal compact and lip view, each with pink and white Jasperware lid by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd. depicting the Roman goddess Flora, “Floral Girl”. Compact 8.5cm diameter. Inscribed “Pat. 764125” on rim near powder well and “Stratton England” on reverse.
- English Maker – ivorine compact depicting Erotes or Cupids sacrificing a ram at an altar in relief, inspired by similar scenes in Roman painting such as those found in the House of the Vettii in Pompeii. 8.5 x 7.5cm. Inscribed inside “England 1”.
- Stratton – gold metal compact with scenes taken from red figure Apulian (a region of southern Italy) vase paintings of the 4th century B.C. in gold relief on lid. Depicted are features like a kalathos, an alabastr on and various objects of a woman’s toilette. 7.5cm diameter. Marked “Stratton England” on reverse.
- A.M. Frank – gold or gold metal compact engraved with scene of Triton and Nereids (daughters of the sea god Nereus) or sea nymphs, possibly Neptune and Amphitrite, with cupids. 6.5 x 8.75cm. Engine turned front and back. Inscribed inside “Made in France” on the rim and “A.M. Frank” with a seal of a shield depicting a powder horn with the letters “Mc A” below.
- Italian Maker (?) –vermeil compact with painted enamel scene probably depicting Dido, Queen of Carthage, and the Roman hero Aeneas in a cave where the writer Virgil reports that they fell in love. A Roman aqueduct and round temple are in the distance. The scene is surrounded by faux malachite insets. Front, sides and back engraved with plumes, flowers and chevrons. 6 x 9cm. Inscribed inside“20” in the powder well and “800” on rim around mirror with two other marks, a small illegible oval and a whale or swan.
- Zell – gold metal compact with black enamel and gold colored repoussé depicting a woman or goddess in Classical dress playing a lyre (one of the Muses?) beneath a tree. 10cm diameter. Marked “USA” on the reverse.
- Italian Maker (?) – silver vermeil compact with painted enamel scene on lid depicting Venus, Cupid and the doves of Venus surrounded by faux turquoise insets. Front, sides and back engraved with plumes, flowers and chevrons. Cupid is holding a golden orb or apple so this scene may be an allegory of the Judgement of Paris. 9 x 8cm. Marked “800” with another illegible oval mark inside.
- Aldemaro Galletti (Italian Artisan) – silver vermeil compact with painted enamel scene on lid depicting Orpheus and Euridyce (?), surrounded by faux turquoise insets. Front, sides and back engraved with plumes, flowers and chevrons. Trapezoid 7.75 x 8cm at base. Inscribed inside “12” in the powder well and “800” on rim around mirror with another illegible oval stamp.
- Elgin American – silver metal compact and music box with gold colored decoration on the lid depicting and a Classical floral band of lotus and palmette forms, a popular decorative motif in Greek and Roman architecture and painting. 7.25 x 4.5cm. Marked “Elgin American” inside. Plays “La vie en rose”.
- Italian Maker (?)– silver vermeil compact with painted enamel scene on lid depicting Venus and Cupid on a cloud and dancing putti with a tholos classical building in the background, surrounded by faux malachite insets. Front, sides and back engraved with plumes, flowers and chevrons. Trapezoid 7.5 x 9cm at base. Inscribed inside “9”, “800” and “FL” in an oval cartouche.
- Max Factor – gold metal watch case compact with a faux cameo depicting the goddess Diana (Greek Artemis) of the Hunt. 5cm diameter.
- Unknown Maker – early simulated bone or wood plastic tango compact with golden fabric handle and tassels depicting a satyr and a maenad (followers of the god Dionysos {Roman Bacchus}) in relief dancing on lid. 6.5cm diameter, 31cm total length including handle and tassels.
- Unknown Maker – sterling compact with engraved front and reverse with scenes depicting elements and ruins of a Middle Eastern archaeological site, probably Persepolis (Persia – Iran, 520-460 BC.). 8.75cm diameter. Marked inside with several silver marks in script, possibly Arabic.
- Ripley and Gowan Co. – 14k gold and silver metal LaMode tango vanity with Greek Key pattern in two metals of silver on lid. Engine turned front and back. 4.5cm diameter, 16cm long with chain. Inscribed inside “Belaise 14k white gold front” with the “R&G Co.” and “LaMode” trademarks by the mirror.
- Pompeian – gold metal rouge compact with black enamel base and an image of 3 Ionic columns and entablature in front of a red enamel disc on the lid. 4cm diameter. Marked “Pompeian” on the lid and base.
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Plate 25
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Unknown Maker – silver metal compact with a picture under plastic depicting a pyramid on the Nile, some palms and a felucca, done in a combination a transfer and paint on a foil ground to imitate butterfly wing. 5 x 5cm. Marked inside “Pat. No. 378540”.
- Rex Fifth Avenue – gold metal flapjack with an Egyptian inspired scene in black, gold and red enamel of two figures in Egyptian dress flanking a sphinx with other Egyptian design motives in the background. 8.75cm diameter. Inside “Rex Fifth Avenue” inscribed on powder well lid.
- T.L.M. (English Maker) – silver metal compact with painted scene under plastic with a butterfly wing background depicting a lady in Arab dress standing by the Nile with palm trees and two feluccas sailing by. 5cm diameter. Inscribed “Made in England T.L.M.”
on reverse.
- Evans – silver metal Mayfair tango vanity with engine turned front and central medallion depicting palms, pyramids and the Nile with a felucca in black enamel with silver relief. 7.75 x 4.75cm, 19.5cm with tango chain. Inside marked “Evans Mayfair” on foil wrapper of rouge pot.
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Giovanni Bellini (Italian Artisan)- vermeil compact depicting a scene featuring an Arab, a camel, a palm tree and a small tomb or mirabout with green, blue and white enamel accents. Rope motif engraved on sides and a brushed finish with floral accents on reverse. Inside “800” mark on rim around mirror and “0” in powder well.
- Elgin American – gold metal compact with harem girl in multi-colored metallic finishes on lid. 7 x 7cm. Inscribed “Elgin American Made in USA” on powder well lid inside.
- E.B.M. Co. – silver and gold metal tango vanity and necessaire with engine turned design on lid and central figure of a man on a camel. 6 x 8.5cm. Inside marked “E.B.M. Co. Made in USA”.
- Unknown Maker - silver compact with filigree lid with central medallion in niello depicting a mosque or Middle Eastern building with palm trees. The lid lifts to expose a send to a smaller compartment with a niello design depicting a felucca. Reverse has an image of a man riding a camel flanked by two smaller camels. 6.25 diameter.
- Elgin American – gold metal compact with scene of Egyptian woman in profile with pyramids and lotus blossoms in shiny and brushed finishes on lid. 7.5 x 6cm. Inscribed “Elgin American Made in USA” on powder well lid.
- Unknown Maker – silver metal compact with drawing under plastic on lid depicting a man on a camel with the phrase “Desert of Maine” below. 5.25 x
5.25cm.
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Plate 26
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- Stratton – gold metal compact with transfer design on white enamel lid of a Venetian gondolier and the Ponte Rialto in Venice. 6.5cm diameter. Marked inside “Made in England” and “Reg. Des. 895112” by mirror and “Stratton” with the compact-in-hand symbol on the powder well lid.
- Ripley and Gowan (?) – silver metal tango vanity and attached lipstick with painted enamel scene on lid depicting gondolas in a Venice canal in brilliant Deco colors. 5 x 5cm. 14, 25cm total length with chain. Marked “LaMode Product” on original box and “Patent Pending” inside.
- Unknown Maker – silver or silver metal case with cobalt blue guilloché back and front rim surrounding a painted enamel scene of a couple in 18th century dress and a minstrel serenading them in a gondola floating on a canal in Venice at night. 7.25cm diameter.
- Scoville Manufacturing Co. – silver metal compact with a transfer scene of Venice on the lid set behind portions of the silver metal body that have been cut away to form columns and a three dimensional illusion. Oval 6.75 x 5cm. Marked “Scoville Manufacturing Co. Waterbury, Conn.” On edge of base and “Pat – July 1-1924” on edge of mirror inside.
- M.C. and Co. (English or Continental Maker) – sterling compact with white pearlescent guilloche front and back and a painted scene on the lid depicting the canals of Venice with gondolas, sailboats and St. Marks Cathedral in the background. 5.25cm diameter. Inside marked “MC&Co” and “925” in two places and “14” in the powder well. Other marks indicated this was imported into London in 1929.
- Unknown Maker – silver metal vanity with gondola scene on lid in silver with blue enamel background. 4.5 x 4.25cm.
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Plate 27
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- Bliss Brothers – silver metal purse-shaped vanity with rigid handle featuring a painted enamel depiction of palms, water and sun on the lid surrounded by a yellow guilloche border. 8.5 x 7cm including handle. Marked inside with the BBCo. Trademark.
- Volupté – gold metal vanity minaudière with Persian inspired animal motif done in various colors of enamel on the lid, back and sides. 13.5 x 7.5cm. Marked “Volupté USA” inside. Contains cigarette case, powder, comb, lipstick and rouge.
- Evans – gold metal compact with a painted central medallion accented with white and red featuring the face of a Negro in a turban with a bound neck in relief and a monogram “EDG” scratched through the black paint. The compact has a mesh bottom. 7cm diameter.
- Rex Fifth Avenue – gold metal compact with clear Lucite lid over a light blue background painted with a scene of palms, a beach and a small sail boat. 9.5 x 9.5cm. Marked “made in USA” by hinge.
- Evans – silver metal tango vanity with attached lipstick and buff, tan and orange enamel scene of Pierrot playing his mandoline in the moonlight. 5.5cm diameter, 11cm total length with chain.
- Evans (?) – silver metal tango vanity with a silhouette image in navy blue and turquoise of Pierrot playing his mandolin to Pierrette. 5.25 x 5.25cm, total length with chain 11.5cm.
- Wadsworth – gold metal compact with vari-colored enamel and applied metallic washes on lid in a scene depicting a medieval maiden and a unicorn. 7.75 x 7.75cm. Marked “Wadsworth Made in USA” inside.
- Mexican (?) – sterling compact with copper colored inset medallion of the Aztec calendar in the lid surrounded by a similar colored floral border. 7.75cm diameter. Marked inside “Sterling Ornex”.
- La May (L’Ame)– gold metal “Sport Vanity” powder tin with the image of Pierrot and Pierrette on the lid. 6.25cm. diameter. Trademarked on the base.
- French Maker – marbled gold and red plastic or celluloid octagonal compact with gold metal lid painted in enamel with a figure of Pierrot playing a mandolin and singing with a full moon and the skyline of Montmartre in the background. 6.5cm in diameter. Marked inside “Made in France” in the powder well.
- Unknown Maker (Russian?) – silver or silver metal compact with repoussé scene on lid depicting a boy or man and a girl riding on the back of a wolf through a wood and over a stream. 5.5cm diameter.
- Tokalon – group of gold metal powder compact, rouge compact and cardboard powder box all with image of Pierrot in his collar. The two compacts are 5cm diameter and the box is 6.5cmdiameter. Each compact is marked “Tokalon Paris” on the exterior edge. The box is marked “Tokalon Petalia” in the lid and extensively marked with use instruction on the reverse. This Pierrot design is usually attributed to René Lalique.
- Unknown Maker – silver metal compact with foil, transfer and hand painted scene of Pierrot holding a lady’s (Pierette’s?) hand. 5cm diameter.
- Kigu – gold metal compact with an enamel pejorative image depicting 2 African natives, one playing the drum and the other dancing. 7.75cm diameter.
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Plate 28
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- George T. Brodnax, Inc. – sterling tango Twinette vanity with tassel, silver mesh handle and dancing woman in black enamel silhouette on the lid. The Twinette features a rouge compartment with lid sitting atop the lid of the powder compartment. 6.25cm diameter, 39.5cm with handle and tassel. Engraved “Mrs. Edmund Simmons” on back and stamped “W sterling 259 Pat. July 18, 1922”.
- Unknown Maker – silver metal tango compact with tassel, fine rope handle and silhouette of a lady applying makeup sitting before a mirror done in yellow enamel in a medallion on the lid. 6.25 diameter, 36cm total length with handle and tassel.
- Unknown Maker – silver metal tango vanity with panel on lid resembling ivory decorated with figure of a nymph sitting on a tendril and smelling a flower. Sapphire metal closure. 5 x 8.5cm, 21.5 total length with chain. Engraved on the back “Raúl a Élena 5-6-929”.
- D.F. Briggs Co. - silver metal diamond-shaped tango vanity with engine turned front and a central medallion of a lady primping at a mirror in black silhouette. Stamped inside “D.F.B. Co.”
- J.M. Fisher Co. (?) – silver metal tango vanity with relief scene of a dancing nymph by a Classical round building in a wood, reminiscent of Maxfield Parrish. Unusual shape, enameled silhouette scene and single link chain all are Fisher trademarks. 5.5 x.6 cm, 11cm long with chain.
- Unknown Maker – two tone silver metal compact with figure in relief of a woman gazing into a mirror. 4.5 x 4.5cm. Engraved on front “Muguet de Mai”.
- Woodworth – silver metal “Karess” compact with scene on plastic behind silver metal bars of a lady, a rose and a star. 4.5cm diameter. Marked “New
York Woodworth Paris Karess” inside.
- Djer Kiss-Kerkoff – silver metal vanity with repoussé lid depicting 2 kissing fairies by a flower bower. 5 x 5cm. Inscribed “Djer-Kiss” on side and “Poudre Djer-Kiss Kerkoff” inside.
- Divine – gold metal glove compact depicting a dancing nymph in black, white and green enamel on lid. 2.5 x 3.25cm. Marked “Divine” on side.
- Vashé – silver metal vanity with figure of femme gazing into a mirror in intaglio in green enamel on lid. 6.5 x 3.75cm.
- Elgin American – gold and silver tone compact depicting 3 dancing nymphs on lid in gold silhouette on brushed silver. 7 x 7cm. Marked “Elgin American – Made in USA” on powder well
lid.
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Plate 29
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- Lazelle – gold metal Twinette compact with rouge compartment sitting in lid of powder compartment. Lid of rouge has relief of dancing femme and is inscribed “As the Petals” “Lazelle” within a floral petal design. 6.25cm diameter. Stamped on reverse “Twinette PAT’D. July 18, 1922”.
- Lazelle –gold metal compact, “As the Petals” trademark with litho figure of dancing femme on lid. 4cm diameter. Inscribed “Lazelle Perfumer As the Petals Compact” on the lid and “As the Petals Cloth of Gold Series Compact Lazelle Perfumers Newburgh on Hudson NY” on the reverse.
- Italian Maker (?) – silver vermeil compact with enamel portrait of a fashionable lady in period costume surrounded by faux lapis insets. Front, sides and back with engraved chevrons, plumes and flowers. 8.5 x 8.5cm. Stamped inside “800” with another oval stamp and another resembling a swan or whale.
- Tokalon – silver metal (aluminum) rouge compact with repoussé design of femme powdering her face in a mirror. Inscriber “Tokalon Paris” on lid and side. Stamp on back reads “Rouge Printemps des Blondes Tokalon Paris”.
- Unknown Maker – simulated tortoise with engraved portrait of Cubist femme gazing into a mirror accented with silver, gold and red enamel. 8.25cm diameter.
- Ripley and Gowan Co. – silver metal LaMode tango compact with painted scene on enamel on lid depicting a flapper femme and wolfhound. Engine turned reverse with Air Force insignia. 5.25 x 5.5cm, 15.25 total length with chain. Marked inside with the R&G trademark and “LaMode” on mirror rim.
- Unknown Maker – silver metal tango compact with fine engine turned surface front and reverse and a central pearlescent medallion on the lid depicting a femme gazing into a mirror. 4.75cm diameter, 17.5cm total length with chain.
- Unknown maker – silver plated octagonal tango vanity with black rope handle and tassel and a depiction of a lady of fashion with a fan in silhouette on the lid. 6.25cm diameter, 27cm total length with handle and tassel. Marked “Silver plated” on the reverse.
- Unknown Maker – gold metal tango compact with black rope handle and tassel depicting dancing fairies or femmes in silhouette on a gold guilloché ground. 5cm diameter, 34cm total length with handle and tassel.
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Unknown Maker - silver metal (aluminum?) vanity with dancing femme in black enamel intaglio on lid. 4.5 x 7.5cm.
- D.F. Briggs - silver metal tango vanity with fine engine turned surface embellished with gold highlights and a central medallion of a seated femme applying makeup. 9.25 x 6.5cm, 15.5cm length with chain. Marked “D.F.B. Co.” and “Pat. Feb 9, 1926”.
- Evans – silver metal tango vanity with engine turned front and central design in brushed and shiny silver finish of a femme flapper and wolfhounds. 7.5 x 5cm.
- Atkinsons - silver metal compact with Deco femme and paper litho floral design on lid in shades of cream, red and black. 5.25cm diameter. Marked “Atkinsons” on reverse.
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Plate 30
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- Italian Maker (?)– vermeil compact with painted enamel scene of a shepherdess and gentleman in period dress with sheep surrounded by faux malachite insets. The front, sides and back are covered with ornate floral engraving. Oval 10.75 x 7cm. Marked inside “800” with an illegible oval mark and another the resembles a swan or whale.
- Austrian Maker – sterling compact with painted scene on matte surface of two lovers in period dress surrounded by floral silver scrollwork on a spring green guilloché surface. The reverse is also spring green guilloché. 7.5cm diameter. Marked inside with a symbol and “35 sterling Made in Austria”.
- Morris, Mann and Riley – silver metal tango vanity with relief silhouetted scene in black enamel of a man playing a pipe or clarinet while his lady dances by a lake. Engine turned reverse in Deco starburst. 6 x 5 cm, total length with chain 17.5cm. Marked inside “M.M.R. Reg. US Pat. Off.” and “Pat. Oct. 5 22”.
- Italian Maker – vermeil (?) compact with painted enamel lid depicting a shepherdess and her male companion with sheep. Elaborate swag and garland decoration in relief accented by cobalt and white enamel cover the border of the lid and sides of the compact. Oval 8.25 x 7cm. Marked in side “Made Italy”.
- Unknown Maker – silver metal tango vanity with black tassel and central medallion with scene of silhouetted couple in 18th century dress on engine turned surface. 5 x 5cm, total length with tassel and chain 24.5cm.
- Austrian Maker – sterling compact with painting on enamel of a loving couple on lid surrounded by a pale aqua guilloche border with same pale guilloche on reverse. 5.25cm diameter. Stamped inside “343” and “Made in Austria Sterling Silver” next to
an illegible oval mark.
- Gwenda – silver metal compact with painted scene of couple in 18th century dress boarding a small boat with details in silver foil imitating butterfly wing. 5.5cm diameter. Marked “Gwenda Made in England” inside.
- Volupté – silver metal tango vanity with pink enameled surface and transfer scene of man and woman in 18th century dress on lid. 5.5 x 5.5cm, 13cm total length with chain.
- French Maker – faux tortoise celluloid or plastic compact with transfer scene on a matte surface on lid accented with painted details depicting a woman playing a mandolin and a man dancing, both in 18th century dress. The scene is surrounded by gold painted Florentine scrollwork on the body of the compact. 9cm diameter. Marked “Made in France” on the reverse.
- Divine - gold metal glove compact with black and white scene of couple in period dress in silhouette. 2.5 x 3.25cm. Marked “Divine” by closure.
- Divine – gold metal glove compact with lavender and white scene of couple in period dress in silhouette. 2.5 x 3.25cm. Marked “Divine” by closure.
- Italian Maker (?)– silver compact with painted enamel scene man and woman in Renaissance dress kissing as he climbs onto her balcony, reminiscent of the story of Romeo and Juliet. Scene surrounded by insets of faux lapis and turquoise and compact heavily engraved with plumes and floral motives front and back. Scalloped edge, 7cm in length. Marked inside “800”, “3” and an oval mark with two symbols and “06”.
Figural/Novelties
Examples that resemble something else - a piano, a flying saucer, a sardine can –or those that have an unusual useful feature like a music box or fob.
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Plate 31
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Plate 31
- Wadsworth – gold metal and black bakelite Compakit in the shape of a camera. The compact is where the lens would be, the body of the camera is a cigarette case, the film advance knob to the left is a lipstick and to the right a lighter. 11.5 x 7.25cm.
- Wadsworth – gold metal and black bakelite “Operetta” in the shape of opera glasses. One side holds a lipstick and the other a pli with a small space for powder. Mirrors are where the lenses would be. 6 x 7.5cm.
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Plate 32
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- Unknown Maker – gold metal vanity enameled in blue in the shape of a suitcase with travel stickers attached from Paris, Havana, London, the Normandie (ship), Rome, New York, Monte Carlo and the R.M.S. Queen Mary. 7.25 x 5.5cm.
- Parker Pen Wadsworth – gold metal ball shaped compact painted with pink and white enamel details and attached rouge in the shape of an air balloon. Ball diameter 5.5cm, total length 8.5cm. Inside “Parker Pen Wadsworth Made in Canada” in relief in plastic powder well.
- Mascot – gold metal compact in the shape of a suitcase with travel stickers from Rome, London, Montreal, New York, Stockholm, Paris, Malta, Aden, Cyprus and many other cities and countries on front and back. Inside7.5 x 6.25 including handle. Inside marked “Made in Great Britain” with the Mascot crown trademark.
- Volupté – silver metal “Petite Boudoir” compact in the shape of a table with a mirror as the table surface and legs that fold under for placing in a purse or pocket. 8.5 x 6cm. marked on the base “Volupté USA Pat. Pend.”
- Parker Pen Wadsworth – gold metal “Ball and Chain” ball shaped compact and attached lipstick. Ball diameter 5.5cm. Inside “Parker Pen Wadsworth Made in Canada” in relief in plastic powder well.
- Wadsworth – gold metal “Vanity Table” compact with mirror as table top and foldable legs for placing in pocket or purse. Marked “Pat. Pending” on base and “Wadsworth Made in USA” on powder well lid.
- Marlowe – black Bakelite “Parisienne” bracelet vanity with 7 small compartments including a mirror beneath metal band that slides around the circumference for powder, rouge, lipstick and other cosmetics. Trademarked “Marlowe Cosmetic Bracelet Parisienne Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.” on inside edge.
- Pygmalion – gold metal “Sonata” music box compact in shape of piano with legs that fold under for placing in pocket or purse. 6.75 x 6cm. Marked inside “Sonata Pygmalion Made in England”. Plays the Blue Danube Waltz.
- Unknown Maker – gold metal cuff bracelet with jeweled faux emerald and pearl medallion that sits on a tiny compact. Oval 5.5 x 6.5cm, 7 x 6.5cm including compact.
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Plate 33
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- Volupté – gold metal “Pianette” compact with lid designed to resemble a piano with black and white enamel accents. 7.25 x 7.5cm. Marked “Volupté USA” inside.
- LeRage – gold metal “Rendezvous” flapjack with design on lid depicting daily activities of a lady of leisure. There is a moveable dial to point out the activity and a clock to set the time when the appointment has been made for that activity. 10cm diameter. Marked “Trade LeRage Mark” and “Prov. Pat” inside.
- Zell – gold metal compact in the shape of a flower basket with flowers and leaves highlighted in added green and red finishes. 8.5 x 7cm.
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Schuco - furry velour vanity in shape of a teddy bear with powder and mirror in the stomach and a lipstick within the head. 9cm in length.
- Henriette – 14k gold plated compact in the shape of a fan with a design of flowers in brushed and polished finishes on lid. 12 x 8cm. Marked “Henriette Made in USA” on powder well lid and “US Pat. 2138514” in powder well.
- Schuco – furry velour vanity in shape of a monkey with powder and mirror in the stomach and a lipstick within the head. 9cm in length.
- Unknown Maker – gold metal book of face powder leaves (papier poudre) with directions for use inside front cover. Decorated with dragon and swirls in relief front and back. 7.75 x 5.5cm. Labeled “Boody House Sherman Bond Toledo, O.” on lid.
- Coty – gold metal vanity with black and white enamel lid resembling dominos. 9.5 x 5.75cm. Marked “Coty New York” on reverse.
- Soviet Maker – silver compact with lid and base in the form of a pink and white scallop shell done in plastic. 7.75cm in length. Marked inside “875”, “7ê875” and“л100”.
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- Melody Creation – gold metal and black bakelite compact in the shape of a 78 phonograph record. The “label” is read and reads “Melody Creation J.D.” with musical notes. 9cm diameter.
- Unknown Maker – black Bakelite compact in the shape of castanets with tasseled rope handle and a painted decal of a matador and bull on the lid. 10 x 7.5cm, 22cm long with handle.
- Unknown Maker – gold metal compact in the shape of a rotary telephone dial with details in black, white and red enamel. 8.75cm diameter.
- Samral (?) – gold metal and brown leather compact in the shape of a guitar. 15cm in length.
- Henriette – black and white enameled compact in the shape of an 8-ball. 5cm diameter. Marked “Henriette Made in USA” and “us Pat. 2138514” inside.
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- Nizzi – “Beauty Star” cosmetic set in plastic heart case containing lipstick, eye shadow, mascara and blush with applicators. 16.5 x 17.5cm. Original display marked “Nizzi Toys and Gifts”.
- Micys Co. - red and gold plastic Pupa “Pupelles” makeup set in the form of a bee with 2 interior levels containing mascara, eye shadows, lip glosses, blushes and powders with applicators. 12 x 15cm. Marked “Pupa” on one wing and “Pupa Pupelles 13 Brown Micys Company Milano Italy” on the reverse.
- Unknown Maker – celluloid combination of collapsing fan and compact with Deco pattern in silver and red on lid. 10.5 x 2.75cm.
- Cara Mia – gold metal compact in the form of a carousel with horses in cloisonné enamel around the exterior. The lid is red striped like a carnival tent. 6.5cm diameter.
- Micys Co. – Pupa “Ice Kit” with clear plastic case containing makeup in the form of ice cream delights with applicators including foundation, blushes, creams, eye shadows, lip glosses and lipsticks. 27.25 x 10cm. Marked “Pupa” on the case.
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- Zell – gold metal compact in the form of a padlock with lid designed as a dial with brushed and shiny gold and accents in rhinestones and red enamel. 8.5 x 6cm. Marked inside “Pat. Appd. For” and “USA” on the reverse.
- Majestic – gold metal compact with moveable roulette wheel on lid accented in black, red, green and white enamel. Marked “Majestic USA” on powder well lid.
- Coty – gold metal “Sleigh Bells” vanity with a row of 6 functioning bells attached to side. 9.5 x 7.5cm. Marked Coty New York” on reverse.
- West German Maker - silver compact in the form of a Peace Dollar in circulation from 1921 – 1964 with Liberty head on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse. 7.5cm diameter. Marked “West Germany” on opener.
- Elgin American – silver metal compact in the form of a coin with female helmeted head facing left surrounded by stars on obverse and eagle facing left with border of stars and laurel on obverse. 5.75cm diameter.
- Unknown Maker – gold metal compact in the form of a tambourine with matte finish on front and back painted with scenes of a matador and lady on a horse on the front and a bullfighter fighting a bull on the reverse. Small pairs of gold metal discs that produce sound when shaken are inserted into the sides and a group of plush pompoms hangs from the compact. 10cm diameter, 17cm with pompoms.
- Volupté – gold metal “Lip-Lock” music box vanity with rhinestone musical note on lid and rhinestone closure that is also the lipstick tube. 5.75 x 8.25cm. Plays Stardust.
- Evans – sterling flapjack compact with basket weave surface in 3 tones of silver – pink, gold and white. 12cm diameter. Marked “Evans Sterling” inside.
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- Wadsworth – gold metal compact in the form of a ball with rolling red and green dice under clear plastic dome lid. 5cm diameter.
- Unknown Maker – cream plastic compact in the form of a lady with a billowing dress. She faces one side where the mirror is in her skirt. On her back her bustle slides to the side revealing the powder well. 9 x 6.25cm. Inscribed “”Pat’d Apr 28-25” near mirror.
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Kotler and Kopit - gold metal compact in the form of a flower basket with handle and white and yellow daisies under a clear plastic dome on the lid. 6cm diameter, 6cm high.
- Italian Maker – gold metal compact with blue tassel in the form of a watch with blue, white and gold enamel face set at 11:16. 7.25 x 9cm. Marked “Made Italy” inside.
- Heyco Fifth Avenue – gold metal compact with silver metal Stardust “sheet music” on lid. 7 x 5.75cm. Marked “©1929 Mills Music, Inc. Used by Permission” on the front and “Heyco Fifth Avenue” on label inside.
- Kigu – gold metal and turquoise enamel “Flying Saucer” music box compact with swirls of gold stars painted on the enamel surface around a winder in the form of a butterfly and an on-off switch. 7.25 diameter, 5.5cm high. Plays The Song from Moulin Rouge. Inscribed inside “Trade Flying Saucer Mark”.
- Dorothy Gray – gold metal compact in the form of a broad brimmed ladies hat with lid details in relief. 8.25cm diameter.
- Unknown Maker – gold metal compact with a miniature Scotch plaid beret with red pompom as the lid. 6.25cm diameter.
- Kigu - gold metal “Flying Saucer” compact with opalescent stones representing the “windows” of the saucer. 7.25 diameter, 5.5cm high. Inscribed inside “Trade Flying Saucer Mark”.
- Unknown Maker – silver metal octagonal compact the size of a ladies’ wrist watch on fabric bracelet and floral medallion on engine turned lid.
- Ripley and Gowan – gold metal opera locket compact with a man and woman in 18th century dress in silhouette on the front in black enamel on gold. Oval 4.25 x 3.5cm, total length with chain 36cm.
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- Volupté – gold metal “Golden Gesture” compact with red enamel nails. 11.5 x 5cm. Marked “Volupté USA” on powder well lid.
- Volupté – gold metal “Golden Gesture” compact with white lace glove and colorful flowers around wrist. 11.5 x 5cm. Marked “Volupté USA” on powder well lid.
- Volupté – gold metal “Lucky Purse and Captive Lipstick” with flap on lid that lifts up to keep a photo. 6.75 x 9cm, 16cm with handle and lipstick. Marked “Volupté USA” inside.
- Italian Maker (?) – silver compact, heavily engraved with floral motives, in the shape of a mirror with a lipstick in the handle and a mirror on one side. 14.75cm in length..
- Volupté – gold metal “Golden Gesture” compact. 11.5 x 5cm. Marked “Volupté USA” on powder well lid.
- Zell Fifth Avenue – gold metal compact with changeable initials on the lid as the center of radiating lines in relief. The initials can be changed by
moving a wheel to the upper left of the lid. 8.25cm diameter. Marked “USA” on the back.
- Elgin American – gold metal compact with brushed and shiny surface design of a pocket watch with Roman numerals around the central medallion of an actual watch. 8.5cm diameter. Marked “Illinois Watch Case Co. Made in USA” on powder well lid.
- Volupté – gold metal “Golden Gesture” compact with black lace glove and colorful flowers around wrist, in a black and peach satin Volupté clutch. Compact11.5 x 5cm. Marked “Volupté USA” on powder well lid. Clutch 15.25 x 10 x 4cm, marked “Volupté” inside.
- Hingeco – gold metal compact in the form of a sardine can with a key opening and a white faux guilloche heart painted with a rose in the lid. 6.5 x 6.5cm. Marked inside “Distributed by Hingeco Vanities Inc Providence, R.I.”
- Pilcher – gold plated compact with rhinestone starburst lid and attached fob on a chain. Oval 7.75 x 6cm, 24cm total length with fob.
Other Collectible Compact and Vanity Types
Examples with decoration that includes flowers and flower baskets, scenes, animals, sports, mother-of-pearl, gems, cloisonné and filigree.
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- Theodore W. Foster and Brothers – sterling tango compact with aqua and white guilloché lid and central flower basket of roses. 3.75cm diameter, total length 17.75cm. Marked “F&B sterling” on compact and finger ring.
- Theodore W. Foster and Brothers – sterling tango compact with attached lipstick and perfume bottle in lavender guilloché with flower baskets of roses on the compact lid and perfume bottle. Compact 5.5cm diameter, total length 21cm. Each piece marked “F&B sterling”.
- Austrian Maker – sterling octagonal tango compact with pink guilloché body and lid with central silver flower basket cut out with black background. 5.75cm diameter, 16, 25 total length. Marked inside under powder wheel “Austria Sterling”.
- Evans – silver metal “Mayfair” tango vanity with scalloped edge and flower basket motif in intaglio on lid. 5.25cm diameter, 16cm total length.
- Theodore W. Foster and Brothers – sterling tango vanity with pale aqua, white and gold guilloche lid decorated with central basket of hand painted roses and corner roses bowers. The four closures are turquoise stones and the tango chain is flat and braided. 5 x 8.5cm, 25.5cm total length with chain. Marked “F & B” and “sterling” inside.
- Evans – silver metal tango vanity with engine turned surface and central flower basket with colorful enamel flowers. 7.5 x 5cm, 19.5cm total length with chain.
- French Maker – tortoise or faux tortoise compact with central medallion of transfer flower bouquet surrounded by elaborate stenciled floral pattern in gold paint. 7.5 x 7.5cm. Marked “Made in France” inside.
- Ripley and Gowan (?) – silver metal vanity with rigid handle and pale yellow guilloché body and lid. Hand painted pansy and rose design on lid. 5.5 x 8cm. Marked “LaMode” inside.
- Joyce Morgan – gold metal and black silk vanity with embroidered flowers on lid and lipstick tube. 9 x 6.5cm. Marked “Joyce Morgan 5 Rue del a Paix Paris” inside.
- Houbigant – gold metal hexagonal “Quaaludes” compact with plastic lid decorated with Houbigant’trademark flower basket. 5 x 4.5cm. Marked “Houbigant”inside.
- Unknown Maker – silver metal heart-shaped vanity with rigid handle, engine turned surface front and back and black enamel lid with transfer of rose bouquet. 7.5cm total length.
- Stratton – gold metal vanity with bright floral lid showing corn flowers, carnations and daisies done in litho, possibly with hand painted details. 8.25 x 7cm. Marked “Stratton” inside.
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- J.M. Fisher (?) - silver metal tango vanity in stepped shape with image of a Mounty and his dog in the north woods done in colorful enamel. 11 x 5cm total with chain. Unusual shape, colorful unusual enamel scene and one link chain are Fisher trademarks.
- Columbia Fifth Avenue – gold metal compact with contrasting brushed and shiny gold cityscape with applied hansom cab in relief with 3 ruby stone insets. 10 x 10.5cm.
- Piero Fallaci (Italian Artisan) – vermeil compact with painted enamel scene of period Italy with a cityscape, river bridge and human figures surrounded by faux lapis insets. Sides, lid and back engraved with chevrons, floral motives and plumes. 6.5 x 7cm. Marked inside “29”, “Fallaci Firenze”, “800” and an illegible small oval stamp.
- Ciner – gold metal compact in black faille case with matching lipstick with an engraved cityscape of London and an applied jeweled carriage in relief with green and clear stones. Marked “CINER” inside.
- Ugo Bellini (Italian Artisan) – vermeil compact with painted enamel scene of couple in a carriage riding through a landscape with a Roman aqueduct in the distance surrounded by faux lapis insets. Sides, lid and back engraved with chevrons, floral motives and plumes. 10.25 x 8cm. Marked inside “13”, “800”, a small illegible oval mark and another resembling a swan or whale.
- Unknown Maker – sterling compact with guilloché garden scene with fountain. 8 x 5.5cm. Marked inside “925” and another mark for foreign pieces imported into Britain.
- Unknown Maker – silver metal tango vanity with guilloché landscape including a river, roses and a gold foil single prop plane, all surrounded by a yellow guilloché border. 5.75 x 7.5cm, 20cm total length with chain.
- Italian Maker (?) – vermeil compact with painted enamel scene of a landscape with a ruin or farmhouse(?) surrounded by faux turquoise insets. Sides, lid and back engraved with chevrons, floral motives and plumes. 10.25 8cm. Marked inside “67”, “800”, a small oval stamp with the numbers “18.086 (?) and a small swan or whale.
- Juno – black plastic and silver metal compact with needlepoint scene on the lid of a rose arbor and a harbor scene in the background. 5.5 x 8.25cm. Marked “Juno”, “Made in Austria” and “Ges. Gescm” inside.
- British Maker – sterling compact with guilloché scene of a river bank with trees on the lid surrounded by a white guilloché border. 5cm diameter. Marked on the outside rim “R&S” and marks for Birmingham and 1928. Marked inside “476”, “R&S” and marks for Birmingham and 1928.
- Norwegian Maker – sterling compact with pink to blue guilloché silhouetted scene of a woman sitting by a harbor withal sailboat and trees, and pale blue guilloché side. 4.25cmdiameter. Marked on the back “S6”, 925S”, “Sterling”, “Made in Norway” and a trademark, a V with another V superimposed upside down.
- Vivaldi (Italian Artisan) – vermeil compact with a painted enamel scene of an Italian cityscape, perhaps Florence, with human figures dressed in the manner of the 18th century, surrounded by faux lapis insets. Sides, lid and back engraved with chevrons, floral motives and plumes. 10 x 7.5cm. marked inside “”21”, “800”, a small illegible oval mark and a small swan or whale.
- British Maker – sterling compact with guilloché garden scene on lid and white guilloché border. 6.5 x 6.5cm. Marked inside for “SL” with a tiny D by the L, with a mark for Birmingham and a letter “B” in script with in shield.
- Unknown Maker – sterling compact with guilloché scene of a harbor with boats surrounded by a white guilloché border, with a yellow guilloché body. 3.75cm diameter. Marked “14” inside and “silver sterling” by closure.
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- Unknown Maker (possibly French) – gold metal compact with glass dome lid enclosing tiny sculptures of birds made from feathers. Base is clear glass. 6.75cm diameter.
- Unknown Maker – silver metal compact with transfer lid depicting a fox hunt with dogs. 7.5cm diameter.
- Jonteel – silver plated octagonal tango compact with repoussé image of an exotic bird on the engine turned lid. 4cm diameter. Marked “Sheffield Plate” inside.
- Estēe Lauder - gold metal “Sly Fox” compact with surface encrusted with crystals. 5.5 x 4.5cm. Marked “Estēe Lauder” inside and on reverse.
- Estēe Lauder - gold metal “Sparkling Skunk” compact with surface encrusted with crystals. 5.5 x 4.5cm. Marked “Estēe Lauder” inside and on reverse.
- Unknown Maker - pink Lucite compact with central sterling medallion of turtle doves. 7 x 7cm. Marked “Sterling Des. Pat. Pend.” on the medallion.
- M. St. Petit Point – petit point, fabric and gold metal compact with lid depicting a piper surrounded by geese, dogs and children in a medieval setting. 8 x 8cm.
- Divine – gold metal compact with painted enamel lid depicting a lady golfer. 4 x 4.75cm. Marked “Divine” on the side.
- Estēe Lauder - gold metal “Puppy Tails” compact with translucent enamel surface. 5.5 x 5cm. Marked “Estēe Lauder” inside and on reverse.
- Ciner – gold metal compact and lipstick set, in a fabric case, with alligator skin lid featuring a small gold metal alligator figure applied to the compact lid and to the lipstick tube. 7 x 7cm. Marked “Ciner” inside.
- Estēe Lauder - gold metal “Mystical Monkeys” compact with brushed gold surface. 6 x 7cm. Marked “Estēe Lauder” inside and on reverse.
- Ugo Bellini – vermeil compact with marbled enamel lid painted with the image of a horse’s head. Sides engraved with a rope design, back brushed with a floral pattern. 7 x 5.5cm. Marked “800” and “7” inside.
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Unknown Maker - ball-shaped gold metal compact with white enamel surface and a transfer design to resemble the stitching on a baseball. 5.25cm diameter.
- Unknown Maker – ball shaped white plastic compact with dimpled surface to resemble a golf ball. 4cm diameter.
- Elgin American – gold metal compact with multi-textured surface depicting engraved scenes of women playing sports – tennis, ice skating, skiing, horse back riding, golf and swimming – organized around a central thermometer. 7 x 7cm. Marked inside “Elgin American Made in USA”.
- Unknown Maker – gold metal compact with elaborately stitched scene of birds in a nest on the lid. 5.5 x 8.5cm. Marked inside “Patent 1802796 Made in USA”.
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- Italian Maker – silver compact, comb and lipstick with heavily engraved floral and plume surfaces. Compact 7.5 x 9cm. Marked “Italy”, “800” and “2401” in a small oval stamp. Lipstick and comb in box marked “Argento 800.000” with a tag from “Fisa Giuseppe Corso Vittorio Emanuele 236 Gela (Sicily)”.
- Elgin American – silver metal (Elginite?) tango vanity with teal jacquard fabric front. 9.25 x 8.25cm. Marked “EAM” by closure.
- Italian Maker – silver and 18k gold vanity lip lock with surfaces heavily engraved with floral motives and an engraved band of 18k gold running vertically on the lid. Lipstick closure includes a green jade-like stone. 8 x 5.75cm. Marked inside“”800”, “K18” and “278FL” (?)in a small oval stamp
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Unknown Maker - gold metal tango vanity with metal chain tassel and intricate filigree surfaces front and reverse embellished with amber topaz or faux topaz. 5 x 36cm, including handle and tassel.
- Unknown Maker – gold metal tango compact with gold fabric rope handle and tassel, black enamel cloisonné front and reverse and the image of a peacock in painted enamel on the lid. 7.25cm diameter, 41cm total length with handle and tassel.
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Unknown Maker - antiqued gold metal tango vanity with jeweled chain tassel and floral filigree, faux emerald and faux pearl decoration on lid and reverse. 6.75cm diameter, 28cm total length with handle and tassel.
- Unknown Maker – gold metal tango compact with chain tassel, red glass “gems”, faux filigree lid and matching rouge pot attached to chain handle. 4.5cm diameter, rouge pot 2.75cm diameter, total length with tassel and chain 29cm.
- Volupté – gold metal “Liplock” vanity with lid formed from 15 different Mother-0f-Pearl plaques to make a textured surface. 8.25 x 5.75cm. Marked “Volupté USA” inside.
- Italian Maker (?) – silver compact and attached lipstick closure with surfaces heavily engraved with floral motives. 6.25 x 6cm. Marked “800” inside.
- Elgin American – gold metal compact encrusted with faux rubies, emeralds, topaz, sapphires and amethysts on the lid. 7cm square. “Elgin American Made in USA” on powder well lid.
- Evans – gold metal compact with textured lid embellished with a medallion of faux pastel gems. 7.5cm diameter. Marked “Evans” inside.
- Unknown Maker (Italian ?) – silver compact with intricate cut-out floral filigree design on lid backed with gold colored surface. Sides and reverse heavily engraved with floral designs. 7.5 x 9cm. Marked “800” and “MC” in a tiny cartouche on mirror rim.
- Marhill – gold metal compact with lid Mother-of-Pearl lid formed from 4
pieces of Mother-of-Pearl carved like filigree surrounding a central square of
Mother-of-Pearl. 7 x 6cm.
Carryalls and Minaudières
Examples of larger items that include a compact along with one or several other features like lipstick, rouge, a cigarette case, a comb, a perfume bottle, etc.
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- Whiting and Davis – silver metal yellow and black enameled “Delysia” mesh vanity bag with handle. Powder. mirror and rouge in separate flip open compartments. Five sapphire rhinestone studs adorn the frame that is embellished with repoussé floral swags. 7cm diameter, 33cm total length with handle. Marked inside “Mesh Whiting and Davis Bags Co. REG. US”.
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- Volupté - gold metal carryall in black faille case with multi-color rhinestone plaque on the front, containing mirror, lipstick, powder, comb and cigarette case. 13.5 x 7.5cm. Marked “Volupté USA” inside.
- French Maker - tubular black silk vanity purse with gold metal rope handle and a compact and mirror in the lid, embellished with gold bugle beads in a floral design and hundreds of tiny pearls sewn at random on the surface. 6cm diameter, 29cm total length with handle. Marked inside “Made in France Breveté” with a seal reading “L B (?) J (?) Paris”.
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- French Maker - green silk minaudière with silk rope handle and tassel and hand painted Deco abstract flowers on exterior. Includes inside a mirror, comb, coin purse, powder, rouge, ivory cuticle stick and lipstick. 10cm x 41.5cm, total length with handle and tassel. Marked on the lipstick tube “Galeries Lafayette Paris”.
- Unknown Maker (possibly Evans) – gold metal carryall with braided mesh handle black enameled lid and back embellished with a shooting star motif done in baguette, square cut, pear shaped and Tiffany cut rhinestones. Includes inside a mirror, lipstick, powder, comb and cigarette case. 7.5cm x 28cm total length with handle.
- Whiting and Davis - silver metal black and white enameled “Elsah” mesh vanity bag with handle and sapphire rhinestone closure. Lid features a silhouette of a dancing couple in 18th century dress. Includes inside a mirror, comb, powder and rouge. 7.5 x 34.5 cm, total length with handle. Marked inside “Mesh Whiting and Davis Bags Co. REG. US”.
- Evans – gold metal front and rear opening carryall with mesh handle and lid encrusted with green, turquoise, lavender and yellow rhinestones in a wide variety of shapes. Includes inside front section are a mirror, comb, lipstick powder well and quarter-sized coin holder. Inside the rear opening is a cigarette case. 8 x 27.5cm total length with handle. Marked inside “Evans” with a coat-of-arms.
- Evans – silver metal front and rear opening “Coronation Carryall” with mesh handle and starburst lid with central medallion of a crown embellished with rhinestones in relief on a black ground. Includes inside front section are a mirror, comb, lipstick powder well and quarter-sized coin holder. Inside the rear opening is a cigarette case. 8 x 27.5cm total length with handle. Marked inside “Evans” with a coat-of-arms.
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- Robin Handbags - black velvet bag with points of applied multi-colored glitter, gold chain closure, a strap handle and a gold metal compact as a base. Compact measures 7.75 x 7.75cm, total length of purse with handle 31.5cm.
- Unknown Maker – plastic tubular vanity purse with black silk braided handle and tassel, and surface painted in three registers in black, gold, cream and mottles brown to resemble leopard skin. Bottom section is a screw-on compact with mirror, top section unscrews for use as a purse. 3.75cm, total length with handle and tassel 43.5cm.
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- Wilardy Originals – glitter gold two-handled Lucite purse with a minaudière as the lid that contains a powder well and a comb and a place for lipstick. Minaudière 13.25 x 7.5cm, 21.5 total height of purse with handles.
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- Volupté - gold metal carryall with rhinestone buckle design on lid in a black faille carry case. Inside holds a mirror, powder well, lipstick and a divided cigarette case. 15.5 x 20cm with handle.
- Evans – gold metal mesh “Mayfair” vanity bag with chain handle and baby blue guilloché lid embellished with hand painted roses. Lid holds a compact, mirror and rouge container that unfold one by one. Lid 7 x 7cm, total length with handle 24cm.
Wonders of Design
Examples fro many of the other categories that move beyond the realm of cosmetic case and into the field of innovative design.
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- Mondaine – gold metal and brown leather book style “Cig-Vanette” vanity with central lipstick container on the lid. The vanity also contains in two compartments rouge, powder, mascara, eye shadow and eye brow pencil. 5 x 7.5cm.
- Zell – gold metal “First Nighter”, a compact case containing a powder well and a tiny flashlight for finding one’s way in a darkened theatre. Small flashlight and wishbone with rhinestone on lid. 5.5 x 7.75cm.
- Dunhill of London - gold metal “Clearview” compact with alligator front and back. Inside a device automatically cleans the mirror each time the compact is opened. 7 x 6.75cm. marked “Dunhill Clearview” inside.
- Dunhill – silver metal vanity in the shape of a lighter. Includes a compact in the body of the lighter, a perfume bottle to the right below the are that lifts where the flame would be, a lipstick tube in the body to the left of the compact and a wand of mascara in the bar across the top. 5.75 x 5.5cm. Marked “REGd. No.737179” and “Prov. Pat. 14444/28” on the base and “Dunhill” on the arm.
- Unknown Maker – sterling “Powder Tier” tango vanity with floral repoussé lid and sapphire stone closure. When the device is opened three interconnected containers for holding powder, rouge and ? on three levels swing out. 3.25cm diameter, 3.75cm high. 8.5cm when extended, 15.75cm total length with chain. Marked “Powder-Tier Pat. Pndg.” and "Sterling" on reverse.
- German Maker – gold metal and painted wood sewing kit and compact combo. The thimble is removed revealing two tiny spools of thread and needles. The other end has a mirror on the bas and a compact within the removable base. 7 x 2.5cm. Marked “Made in Germany” on the thimble lid and “deposé” on the body.
- 7. European Maker – silver vanity with handle and guilloché hand painted scene of lovers on the front and turquoise guilloche on the reverse. It includes inside a lipstick, perfume bottle, mascara and a powder well with mirror, all in an object that measures only 3 x 4cm. Marks inside include “PEV”, a mark for a London import, “”925” and a mark for the year 1925.
- Kreisler - gold and copper color metal and blue plastic vanity with Deco rhinestone decoration. As top slides to bottom, a mirror slides to the top out of the base and the powder and rouge wells open. 6 x 8.5cm. Marked “US PATENTS NO. 1997533-2062363”.
- Spotlight Corp. – gold metal “Venus Ray” vanity with repoussé design of crowns and diamonds on the lid and a lighted mirror inside. A lipstick is in the cylinder to the right and a battery fits in the cylinder to the left. 6.75 x 8.5cm. Marked “Venus-Ray Registered Trade Mark” on the reverse and “Pat. Pend. Made in USA” inside.
- LeRage - gold metal “Wonder Vanity Case” with chain attached lipstick in a faille carry bag. applied floral decal on lid and lipstick tube. Case includes a rouge container in the center of the lid, a removable clothes brush attached to the powder well lid, powder, and a tiny perfume bottle also covered with floral decals that fits next to powder well. Compact 10cm diameter, total length with case 25cm. Marked inside “Prov. Pat”, “Made in England”, and “LeRage Trade Mark”.
- Whiting and Davis – gold metal mesh “Piccadilly” style purse, sapphire stone closure and mesh handle with ornate floral repoussé frame that includes a tiny powder compact built into it. Compact diameter 2.5cm, total length of purse with handle 35cm. Marked “W.B” in a diamond trademark and “soldered mesh”, “Patented June 4, 1918” , “Whiting and Davis” and “No. 52092” on back of compact and purse frame.
- German Maker (Kreisler?) – gold metal and black plastic compact. As top slides to left, a mirror slides to the right out of the base and the powder well opens. 6 x 8.5cm. Marked “Made in Germany”.
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- Voulpté – gold metal “Turnabout” compact. The central portion of the lid rotates when open to present either a mirror or a brushed gold surface as the lid.7.5 x 7.5cm. Marked “Volupté USA” and “Pat Pending” inside.
- S.G.D.G. (French Maker) – pink plastic houpette pli (Fr. folding puff) with incised design of the Eiffel Tower. The wand end unscrews to hold loose powder. The other end unscrews and the wand pushes up to expose a down puff that unfolds as it rises already full of powder and ready for use. 8.25 x 2cm, 7.5cm with puff extended. Marked on the powder compartment “Brevete PLI S.D.G.D. Made in France”.
- Princess Pat – gold metal “Vaniteen” powder dispenser. Fill with loose powder and dispense on to a puff by pushing the silver button on the bottom onto the puff. 2 x 5.5cm. Marked “princess Pat Ltd. Chicago ILL. Distributor Made in USA”.
- Platé –plastic “Trioette” vanity in the form of a hand mirror with rose in relief on the lid. One side flips open for powder and a mirror. The other flips open for rouge, and the lipstick is in the handle. Marked “Trioette by Platé” in the rouge compartment. 7 x 11.5cm. White, black with red rose motif and cherry red are shown.
- Kunick - Petie silver metal and leather camera vanity. The camera to the left is removable and is a fully functioning camera with a 20mm (f.9) fixed focus lens and a shutter speed of 1/50. The compact is to the right. 11.5 x 6cm. Marked “Petie Made in Western Germany” on the camera and “Germany” on the compact.
- Smart S.A.S – red and black plastic “Dayla” vanity in the form of the Sun. Interior is on 2 levels – first 12 powder, blusher and eye shadow colors on level #1, and then6 lip gloss colors and a variety of applicators for both levels on level #2. 10.5cm diameter. ]
- Evans – gold metal “Trig-A-Lite” lighter, vanity and cigarette case combo featuring pale green enamel surface with green guilloché and hand painted roses on lid of vanity. 10.5 x 6.5cm. Marked “Evans Pat. 80179 Other Pat. Pending” and “Evans Trig-A-Lite” inside cigarette case.
- Unknown Maker – silver metal (possibly 14k lid) tango vanity with engine turned lid and central medallion with black enameled scene of a house by a lake with sailboat and trees. The body of the compact is a perfume bottle with a cap that unscrews near the compact closure. 5.25 x 7.5cm, 26cm total with handle.
- Elizabeth Arden – gold metal “Swiss Twist” compact with ornate floral repoussé lid. A “clock winder” device grinds up just enough powder for each application when a small wheel in twisted. The powder is added by twisting open the bottom of the compact. 6.75cm diameter.
The Trade Marks and Companies Represented
A.M. Frank –a trademark found on French compacts
A.S.Br own– English maker of Mascot compacts
Agme – a Swiss compact company
American Products Co. – manufacturers of LaBara cosmetics, Theda Bara’s line.
Annette Honeywell – an illustrator who created designs for a series of zippered compacts with the Lady Vanity trademark.
Atkinsons - a British compact trademark.
BB Co. – Bliss Brothers
Bell DeLuxe– possibly a French trademark
Bellini, U. Bellini - Ugo Bellini of Florence, Italy. See Italian Artisans
Bliss – E.A. Bliss Company, Meriden, CT. Founded in 1875 as a manufacturer of men’s watch chains and small gift items, it was known as Bliss and Carpenter and then, in1882, as E.A. Bliss Company, after its co-owner Edgerton Ames Bliss . Until1907 their trademark was “E.A. Co.” Bliss traveled to Europe often to keep upon continental style trends and to acquire metals and beads for his jewelry and compacts. In addition, he hired William Rettenmeyer, an apprentice in silver smithing at Tiffany and Co., as his chief designer. In 1913 James H. Napier was hired as General Manager and he eventually became President. The company became known as Napier-Bliss in 1920. Eventually the name was changed to the Napier Co. and it continues in business today.
Boots- Boots the Chemists– a British drug concern founded in 1849 as the British and American Botanic Establishment by John Boots to distribute herbal remedies. Today Boots The Chemists is a world-wide drug and cosmetic concern with distribution in 130 countries.
Boucheron – a jewelry company founded in Paris in 1858 by Frederic Boucher on, a noted luxury jeweler and perfumer who became well known for his decorative motifs inspired by nature. The company has been in business at 26 Place Vendôme in Paris since1893. In the 1940s and 50s Boucheron revived flower and feather motifs to accompany “The New Look” of Christian Dior.
Briggs (D.F.B. Co.) – D.F. Briggs Co. (1892-1922), a manufacturer of fine vanities.
Brodnax – George T Brodnax, Inc., Memphis, TN
Cartier – a luxury jewelry company begun in 1898 by Alfred Cartier and his son Louis and Alfred Cartier & Fils. The partnership was built on the business foundation established by Louis Francoise Cartier, Alfred’s father, as early as 1847. Early in the 20thcentury, under the leadership of Pierre and Jacques Cartier, brothers of Louis, the firm expanded across Europe with luxury jewelry shops and became the jewelers for the British Royal family. By 1909 the first New York shop opened on Fifth Avenue. Famous pieces designed by Cartier include the 69.42 karat Taylor-Burton Diamond ring and the 152.35 karat sapphire Panthère brooch purchased by the Duke of Windsor for the Duchess in 1948.
Cigogne – Cigogne, Inc. New York
Ciner – a costume jeweler noted for fine quality compacts usually produced with sturdy cases and matching lipsticks. Ciner Manufacturing Company, specializing in the manufacture of fine jewelry, was founded by Emanuel Ciner in 1892. By1931 Ciner began producing fine costume jewelry with colorful rhinestones and fine Swarovski crystals for nationwide distribution in gift and department stores. Early Ciner jewelry is frequently unmarked, but following World War II most Ciner pieces are marked "Ciner”.
Clarice Jane– a compact trademark of E.A.M. and the Illinois Watch Co.
Columbia of Fifth Avenue - along with Zell, Rex and Dorset, called the“Fifth Avenues”, all makers of moderately priced compacts.
Constance Bennet Cosmetics – a line of beauty preparations by the movie actress, Constance Bennet.
Coppini – artisan of Florence, Italy. See Italian Artisans
Coty – a perfume and cosmetic company located at 714 Fifth Ave., New York
Darnée – a French company noted for producing small compacts and rouges with celebrity connections.
Dayla – a trademark of Smart S.A.S, a modern Italian company known for innovative figural make-up cases.
D.F.B. Co. –D.F. Briggs Co. (1892-1922), a manufacturer of fine vanities.
Divine – a trademark found in tiny glove compacts with decorative lids, often done in silhouette
Djer-Kiss Kerkoff - a trademark of Kerkoff, a Parisian cosmetics firm. Their most famous design is the silver “kissing fairies”compact.
Dorothy Gray– a cosmetic firm that flourished in the 1950s-60s later acquired by Playtex products. It was located at 683 Fifth Avenue in New York
Dunhill – Alfred Dunhill, Ltd. of London is a British firm noted for its watches, men’s accessories and lighters. They also manufactured a ladies’ compact in the form of a lighter.
E.A. M. Co. – Elgin American Manufacturing Co., Elgin IL. Elginite was a trademark for their white metal cases.
E.B.M. – a manufacturer of quality vanities.
Eisenberg – a company founded in 1914 by Jonas Eisenberg that originally manufactured clothing and jeweled accessories accented by Austrian rhinestones from the Swarovski Company. Eisenberg costume jewelry was first produced about 1930 and continues in production today. The pieces are famous for the brilliance, bright colors, clarity and fine manufacture. Their early jewelry was not marked, but from 1935toabout 1945 the trademark “Eisenberg Original” was used. Other marks used by the company include a script letter “E” (1941-45), “Eisenberg Sterling” (1941-45), “Eisenberg” in script (1935 and after), “Eisenberg Ice” in block letters (1945-58) and“Eisenberg Ice” in script (1970 and after). Much of their later work was not marked at all. In the 1940s the company joined forces with Henriette and Dorset Fifth Avenue to provide jeweled decoration for powder compacts.
Elgin – trademark of compacts made by the Illinois Watch Co. of Elgin, IL. and the same company as E.A.M. Their silver metal used for compacts called Elginite has proven to be as indestructible as it was advertised to be.
Elizabeth Arden– Florence Nightingale Graham, a Canadian born cosmetics executive. She began experimenting in cosmetic manufacture in her own kitchen and by 1908 she arrived in New York and soon opened her first salon on Fifth Avenue. When in Parisin 1912 she noted that women there liked to use color in rouges and eye makeup.She introduced this idea in her salons in New York and American women loved it. She died in 1966 and her company still thrives today.
Elmo – an American trademark
Estēe Lauder- Estēe and Joe Lauder began this cosmetics firm in Queens, New York in 1944. In the early 1950s her first fragrance, Youth Dew, and her skin repair products insured her early success. Her policy of selling her designs from exclusive high end department stores like I. Magnin, Neiman-Marcus and Sax Fifth Avenue has built a loyal following. The exceptional quality of her compacts had made them highly collectible.
Evans – the Evans Case Company of N. Attleboro, MA., one of the most prolific producers of high quality compacts and carryalls, as well as cigarette lighters and cases, hollowware, costume jewelry handbags and other products. The company began about 1918as the Evans Novelty Company making picture frames and neck chains for dog tags for the U.S. Army. Shortly thereafter the company secured its first contract to manufacture powder compacts from United Drug Co. The company is well known for its development of durable and high quality enamel surfaces. During WWII the company also manufactured cluster bombs, surgical instruments, precision parts for aircraft engines, radar components and fuses for artillery shells! Along with Volupté, this company dominated the carryall market in the 1940s and 1950s.
F& B Co. – Theodore W. Foster and Brothers Co., 1873Providence, Rhode Island, maker of fine sterling and guilloché compacts. In the19th century the firm was known as Foster and Bailey.
Fabergé – a jewelry firm founded in 1842 by Gustave Fabergé. The family became associated with the Russian Royal family, the Romanovs, when the Empress Maria bought a pair of cufflinks for the Czar Alexander III. They were a hit and established the firm in Russian society. Peter Karl Faberge, the son of Gustave and a designer, became famous for the elaborate jeweled eggs presented to the Czar and his family every Easter, designed by him but created by his staff of skilled gold and silver smiths. The Czar appreciated his work so much that his firm was designated as “Supplier to the Imperial Court” in 1885 and he was allowed to incorporate the Imperial Russian double-headed eagle into the firm’s emblem. Erik August Kollin (1836-1901) became his first Chief Jeweler in the 1870s in St. Petersberg, a post he held until 1886 when he was replaced by Michael Perchin. He specialized in gold and silver articles. The replicas of the Scythian Treasures, exhibited at the 1885 Nuremberg Exhibition, were made in his workshop. The Fabergés were forced to flee during the Russian Revolution, so they settled in Paris where they thrived. Their remaining inventory was entrusted by the family to the Hermitage Museum, but it was sold off by the Soviet government, much ofit ending up in the United States. In the 1950s the rights to name Fabergé was transferred to the cosmetic firm Fabergé, Inc. , a manufacturer of perfumes and stylish compacts.
Fallaci – Piero Fallaci of Florence, Italy. See Italian Artisans.
Fisher – J.M.Fisher Company, North Attleboro, MA. This company is still in the jewelry business today, but in the 1920-30s it was noted for its stylish and colorful compacts with unusual shapes and original, often abstract designs. The compacts are rarely trademarked but can be identified by their shapes, their one-link chains and the fragility of their brightly colored champlevé enamels. Ironically, the poor quality of the enamel means that few survive in pristine condition, making those that do highly collectible.
Fitch – a trademark found on only one known vanity – a fine oval silver metal case with a champlevé / niello design featuring a woman’s profile between 2 peacocks. This could be the F.W. Fitch Co., maker of shampoos and dandruff treatments in the early to mid-twentieth century.
Flamand Fladium– a Parisian firm that manufactured a series of compacts on cuff bracelets, each named for a famous woman of the day, like Josephine Baker and Claudine Cereola.
Flato – Paul Flato, jewelry designer to the stars in the 1920s and 1930s. His jewelry creations were worn by stars like Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Fanny Brice and Mea West. His designs were featured in films like Holiday, worn by Katherine Hepburn, That Uncertain Feeling, worn by Greta Garbo and Topper, worn by Constance Bennet. He also designed high quality compacts usually in sturdy cases with matching lipsticks.
Fosterand Bailey – see F & B Co.
Galletti – Aldemaro Galletti of Florence, Italy. See Italian Artisans
Gallery Originals – a trademark of Avon Cosmetics. Avon is the largest direct marketing firm in the world. The company began in 1896 as the California Perfume Company with a rose perfume developed by Mr. David McConnellof New York. He named the company Avon in 1939 in tribute to his favorite playwright, William Shakespeare and Stratford on Avon. Mrs. P.F.E. Albee of Winchester New Hampshire, USA pioneered the company's now-famous direct-selling method. Today, with sales representatives numbering three and a half million, Avon products are sold in 143 countries around the world.
Girey – an American compact company known especially for its “karma-pac” compacts made to resemble small cameras. These often included powder, rouge and lipstick tubes.
Gorham - Gorham Silver Company founded in 1831 when Jabez Gorham, a jeweler, began making coin silver spoons in New England. Gorham dominated American silver in the 19thand 20th centuries.
Gwenda – an English company noted for foil back scenes resembling butterfly wing
Henriette –Henriette, Inc., an American compact brand noted for novelties like military hats and ball-shaped compacts. It was located at 385 Fifth Avenue, New York
Heyco Fifth Avenue
Hingeco – Hingeco Vanities, 69-105 Gordon Ave., Providence, Rhode Island, a compact distributor noted for its compacts that open with a key like a sardine can.
Houbigant – a perfume and cosmetics company founded by Jean Francois Houbigant in Paris in the 19thcentury. Compacts featuring Houbigant’s flower basket logo and vanities with abstract Deco designs are highly collectible.
Houpette – a French trademark noted for the telescoping Pli compacts.
Italian Artisans- makers of the ornately engraved silver compacts (and often matching lipsticks and combs) with hand painted enamel panels showing pastoral scenes of lovers, shepherds and people cavorting in idealized countryside settings often taken from 18th and 19thcentury paintings They are often marked “800” (for nickel silver – pure silver is 925), sometimes “Made in Italy”, “Firenze” “Made Italy” or just“Italy” and rarely with names like Bellini, Fallaci, Galletti, Vivaldior Coppini. The earliest date possible for compacts of this type seems to be 1939 when Alfredo Fallaci began his jewelry business in Florence with compacts as a sideline. Unfortunately, no sooner did he get going but World War II began. The market for luxury items died and precious metals were no longer available, so Alfredo closed his fledgling business and opened a bar in Rome’s Termini train station for the duration of the war. He and his family did not return to the jewelry business until about 1946. Then Alfredo, his wife, Ottavina and his son Piero, who runs the jewelry business today, began making these compacts in 800silver, gilded silver and gilded brass. They were sold in the family’s shop but they were also distributed to other businesses in tourist centers like Florence, Naples, Rome and Venice. Most of them, however, were exported to France and the United States, to department stores like Macy’s, Gimbel’s, Saks and Neiman Marcus where their popularity helped these Italian jewelers become some of the success stories in the post-war rebuilding of the devastated Italian economy. Their import could explain the large numbers of these found in American estates today, as well as those so often found in boxes with names and trademarks of the stores that sold them rather than those of the manufacturers. The patriarch of the Bellini family, Ugo, began his jewelry business in 1946. At first he made and sold 800 compacts that were ornately engraved without enamel work, but by the 1950s he too was producing fine 800 enamel compacts. In 1969 the Bellinis stopped producing silver compacts and continued with those of gold plated brass. But even these ceased production a few years later. The jewelry business continues today with Ugo’s son, Giovanni, and his family in charge. According to the Galletti family, another producer of these compacts, the great flood of 1966 that devastated Venice also caused flooding in the shops along the Arno River in Florence. A lot of inventory, including compacts, was either washed away or destroyed, making these lovely compacts even rarer today. Two other names, Coppini and Vivaldi, are found on compacts of this type. While there is a Coppini family in the jewelry business today in Florence, they are not from the family that produced these compacts. The Vivaldi family jewelry business has been forgotten in Florence today.
According to Giovanni Bellini, several steps were involved in the manufacture of these compacts. First, the top and bottom of the silver box itself with its hinge and closure was made in one of10 or 12 stock shapes. 800 silver was used because pure silver would have been too soft to take the high temperature required to fire the enamel. Next, an engraver decorated the box with ornate floral scrolls, garlands and swags, leaving indented spaces on the front for a central enameled medallion and surrounding patches of decorative enamel. Next an enameller applied the first of the enamel surfaces to these areas and the piece was fired. Since each type of enamel required a different firing temperature this was a step that required some experience and care. In the Bellini family this was done by Ottavina. Next the scene and the imitation lapis lazuli, malachite or turquoise in the spaces surrounding the central scene were painted by one of 10 artisan painters who specialized in this work in Florence. Then these areas were coated with a clear enamel and the piece was fired again. At this point a check was made to insure that the hinge and closure still worked correctly because the metal sometimes warped in the firings. If gilding was to be done, it was completed, but not all were gilded. The top and bottom of the compact were then attached securely. A beveled mirror and powder screen were placed inside and the compact was complete. Swan’s down puffs for use with these compacts were purchased separately by the compact buyer. Giovanni Bellini reports that his family completed 10-15 compacts per week, while Pietro Fallaci reports 30-40. As many as 5 or 6 people worked on each compact and some of the manufacturing steps , like the painting and the mirror making, were “farmed out” to local artisans who, unfortunately, remain nameless today. The final assembly, however, was done at the family’s shop. By the late 1970s compacts had lost their allure and tourists no longer wanted these ornate works of art. With a dwindling market, the artisans became too expensive and the production of these compacts stopped.By that time, Fallaci’s enamel compacts were selling for $77 wholesale. Several marks are often found on these compacts. According to the Bellini family, the numbers found in the powder wells refer to the number of compacts of that shape made at one time. A tiny2mm mark resembling a swan or a whale with a long tail found in some of the finest compacts was unknown to them but they felt it may be a mark by one of the artisans – possibly a sort of signature of the engraver or the silversmith who worked on it. Another mark shaped like a tiny 2mm oval is often seen and sometimes numbers within it are legible. Its purpose is unknown but it may also be a signature mark.
Jonteel– a trademark of the Liggett Company, New York City
Juno – an Austrian compact trademark
K& K - Kotler and Kopit
Kathrine Baumann of Beverly Hills – a noted contemporary designer of minaudières and accessories decorated with Swarovski crystals.
KI-GU (KIGU) –a compact manufacturing company founded by Gustav Kiaschek, son of master goldsmith Joseph Kiaschek of Budapest Hungary. The name derived from Gustav’s(KI-Kiaschek GU-Gustav) The company made compacts until the 1950s, and in the 1980s it was acquired by A.S. Brown, maker of MASCOT compacts. Later both KIGU and MASCOT brands were acquired by Laughton and Sons of London, maker of Stratton compacts.
Erik Kollin– (1836-1901) Kollin was born in Finland and opened his own jewelry workshop in St. Petersburg in 1870. Kollin worked exclusively for Fabergé, and was soon put in charge of all Fabergé workshops as his first Chief Jeweler, a post he held until 1886 when he was replaced by Michael Perchin. He specialized in gold and silver articles. The replicas of the Scythian Treasures, exhibited at the 1885 Nuremberg Exhibition, were made in his workshop
Kreisler – a maker of compacts in Germany.
Kunick - makers of the Petie Vanity camera made in post-war Germany for the home market. The camera used 16mm paper-backed film for 14 x 14mm images. It was simply made with a 20mm (f9) fixed focus lens and a shutter speed of 1/50.
LaBara – the cosmetic line of the noted early movie actress Theda Bara
Lady Vanity– a trademark found in a series of zippered compacts with figural lids, some designed by Annette Honeywell.
LaMay Inc.– 216 W. 18th Street NY, NY, maker of the Sport Vanity featuring images of Pirerrot and Pierrette.
LaMode – a trademark often found on compacts and tango compacts made by the Ripley and Gowan Co. of Attleboro, MA.
Langlois – a manufacturer of the Shari, Duska and Cara Nome compact trademarks
Lazelle – an American perfume company located in Newburgh-on-the-Hudson, New York that produced compacts from the 1920s. Their most notable design was a dancing femme“con brio” on their products called As-The-Petals.
LeRage – an English trademark. LeRage compacts are known for their original design and for the figural scenes done by transfer that cover the lids with small colorful figures.
Judith Leiber– a contemporary designer of luxury minaudières and compacts decorated with Swarovski crystals for sale at high end stores like Neiman-Marcus and Borsheims.
Lin-Bren – Lin-Bren Fifth Avenue. An American trademark found on compacts and purses of the 1950s.
MC & Co.– a maker of fine British enameled scenic silver compacts
M.M.R. –Morris-Mann & Riley, Wells St., Chicago, IL.
M.St. Petit Point - a European compact trademark
Majestic – Majestic Metal Specialty Co., 200 Varick St., New York, a maker of compact cases for several companies. Cases marked Majestic may be made by this company.
Marhill–a trademark associated with compacts usually designed with mother-of-pearl lids.
Marlowe – a trademark found on the ‘Parisienne’ compact bracelet.
Mascot – an English trademark
Mayfair – a trademark of the Evans Case Co.
Max Factor – (1872?-1938) Max Factor, the King of Hollywood Makeup, was born Max Faktor in Lodz, Poland to an impoverished family. Even he could not recall the exact year of his birth. At about8 years of age he was put to work as a dental assistant, and later he apprenticed to a wig maker. He made wigs for the Russian Imperial Grand Opera and served 4 years in the Russian Army Hospital Corps. By 1894 he was out of the army and he opened a shop near Moscow selling wigs, creams, rouges and fragrances. After a traveling troop used his wigs in a performance for the Russian royal family, Max was commanded to servitude as the cosmetic expert for Czar Nicholas II, the Czarina and the Royal Opera. As Jewish persecution rose in Russia, Max became fearful for his new wife and family and fled by ship to the USA in 1904. He went through Ellis Island and on to relatives in St. Louis who had arranged a small stall for him to sell his cosmetics at the World’s Fair. After the Fair he opened a barber shop and bath house in St. Louis, but when he learned of the new movie industry growing a California, he dreamed of providing the actors with his wigs and makeup. In 1908 he moved to Los Angeles and in 1909 he founded Max Factor Cosmetics Company, selling wigs and hairpieces.
Factor’s Hollywood innovations changed the movie and the cosmetics industries. They include:
- The invention of “flexible greasepaint”, pliant foundation for face and body that did not crack under lights like older greasepaint. This allowed for movie close-ups and more facial expressions by actors who had to be careful not to smile too broadly with the older makeup. It became especially popular with comedians like Ben Turpin, Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Fatty Arbuckle
- The invention of real human hair wigs in colors to harmonize with skin metals to replace wigs of wool, Spanish moss, straw and even tobacco leaves that had been used up to that time
- Development of “Society Make-up” for the general public advertised with its Hollywood connections after 1916 and with celebrity endorsements beginning in 1929.
- The development of the “Color Harmony System” (1918) where makeup, rouge and lipstick were made in different shades to harmonize with natural blonde, brunette, brownette and redhead coloring. The marketing aim was to induce women to buy all their cosmetics from one company rather than buying powder from one, rouge from another and so an as was the common practice.
- The development of more natural looking makeup needed after the introduction of Panchromatic film and quiet tungsten lights after the first“talkies” in 1927.
- The development of waterproof makeup for the film Mare Nostrum (1925) that was used extensively in later movies, especially by Esther Williams.
- The creation of the “platinum blonde look” for Jean Harlow and a makeup line for the public that insured its popularity for decades.
- The invention of the“beauty calibrator” (1932), a device to measure each actress’s deviation from Factor’s physical facial ideal so that personalized makeup could be made for each to mask these deviations.
- The invention of Pancake makeup (1937) that did not reflect colors from the surrounding set for Technicolor filming
- The development of camouflage makeup for the U.S. Army(1943). 11. The development of special makeup for black and white and then for color TV. Factor made his name by developing special personalized cosmetics for Hollywood stars that he applied himself, like an artist on a canvas.
The public could easily see his work at any movie theatre, so when he went public with his Society Makeup line and his Color Harmony Makeup Set, each designed for a different complexion type, the demand for his products was great. And celebrity endorsements from stars like Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford and Loretta Young were invaluable in spreading his products across America.
Mealy Manufacturing Co. – the maker of the infantryman’s cap compact
Melba - Parfumerie Melba Inc. , 236 Spring Street New York, N.Y.
Melody Creation J.D. – a trademark found on the phonograph record compact
Mondaine – a trademark found on novelty vanities that resemble small books. Some also have cigarette compartments and are called Cig-Vanettes. Mondiane also is well known for flat rectangular vanities with rope handles and round compacts with small lipstick compartments in their lids.
Montrae – a Parisian trademark
Nizzi S.P.A.– an Italian trademark of children’s makeup sets.
Orlane – a French trademark
Ornex–a Mexican trademark
Parisian Novelty Company – an early Chicago based manufacturer of cookie compacts
Parker Pen-Wadsworth – the maker of novelty compacts like the Ball and Chain and the Air Balloon.
Pierre
Pilcher–the maker of quality compacts often featuring colorful faux gems.
Platé – House of Platé, Detroit, MI. makers of the Trioette vanity in the 1940s.
Pompeian – an American cosmetic firm.
Princess Marcella Borghese – a cosmetic line begun by the Princess, from one of Rome’s most famous noble families. Princess Marcella Borghese was an Italian socialite and the wife of Prince Paolo Borghese, the Duke of Bomarzo. The Prince was a member of the famous Borghese family that produced many religious figures, one Pope (Paul V), the Borghese Gardens and the well known Galleria Borghese, one of Rome’s foremost Museums. In 1958 the Princess began her cosmetics enterprise with her own recipes as a subsidiary of Revlon.
Princess Pat– Princess Pat Ltd., Chicago, IL. maker of the Vaniteen and small rouge and powder compacts.
Pupa – a trademark of the Micys Company of Milan Italy, an Italian maker of makeup sets in innovative designs in the forms of animals, human figures, foods, etc.
Pygmalion–an English company noted for their novelty compacts, such as the Sonata piano compact and the Pygmalion globe.
R & G Co. – Ripley and Gowan Co., Attleboro, MA.
Reich-Ash Company– a firm based in New York and Paris that made or distributed cosmetic items with the DEERE trademark.
Reincke-Ellis Co. – an advertising firm based in Chicago and New York in the early 2oth century, successor to Reincke-Ellis-Younggreen & Finn, known for their cosmetic advertising. Reincke-Ellis manufactured early cookie advertising compacts.
Revlon - Charles Revson began as a cosmetic salesman in 1931 and soon developed his own nail polish business. By 1937 his strategy to give his products seductive names like “Kissing Pink” and to link the introduction of new colors to seasonal changes in fashion made him a success. He called his company Revlon and stressed not only quality products, but advertising and alluring packaging as well. To give his products panache, he worked with the noted jewelers Van Cleef and Arpels to design a line of compacts in the 1950s.Revlon eventually acquired both Helena Rubinstein (1984) and Max Factor (1986).
Rex Fifth Avenue – Rex Products Corp., 302 Fifth Ave., New York, a maker of compacts in the 1950s. This company later joined another, Dorset, to become Dorset-Rex in 1951. Zell, Rex, Dorset and Columbia all had “Fifth Avenue” appended to their names and so the yare often called “the Fifth Avenues”. They all made moderately priced compacts.
Richard Hudnut– a cosmetic firm of New York famous for its DuBarry, Deauville and Debutlines of compacts. Richard Hudnut, the son of Alexander Hudnut, owner of a New York area drug store, began his cosmetic career in 1903. His company became one of the foremost cosmetic companies in the U.S.A.
Rigaud – a Parisian cosmetic company at 16 Rue de la Paix, noted for its association with Mary Garden, the opera singer, and her line of cosmetics produced in the 1920s.
Robin Handbags – a U.S. purse trademark of the 1950s.
Roger and Gallet – a French perfume and cosmetics firm. In 1695, Jean-Paul Fèminis traveled from Italy to Cologne with a secret formula for water with healing properties. Cologne's medical school patented the formula 30years later. In 1806 the heir to Jean-Paul's secret formula opened Maison Farina, a perfumery on the rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. By the end of the century the next generation of heirs, Armand Roger and Charles Gallet, continued the family-owned company's innovations, including face powder and lipstick. They also introduced the unique round shape and pretty pleated paper that distinguishes Roger &Gallet soaps.
Helena Rubinstein – a cosmetics executive and founder of Helena Rubinstein Cosmetics. Born in 1870 in Poland and trained in medicine in Kraków. After immigrating to Australia she opened her first beauty salon there in 1902featuring her own face cream formulation. She returned to Europe for further study and opened salons in London (1908) and Paris (1912). By the beginning of World War I she was in business in the USA. Her business still thrives today, though she died in 1965.
Scoville – Scoville Manufacturing Co., Waterbury, CT., a manufacturer of compact cases.
Schuco – a German toy company that manufactured Teddy Bears and other plush toys between the World Wars. They made several collectible compacts in the forms of animals, most notably a bear and a monkey.
Seventeen – trademark of the House of Jeurelle, maker of perfumes and cosmetics in the
1920s.These items are also sometimes marked “Colgate”.
S.G.D.G. – trademark on the French “Houpette Pli”.
Spotlight Corp.– Spotlight Corporation, 155 W. 72nd Street New York, maker of the Venus Ray compact in the 1940s.
Stratton – a company founded in 1860 in Birmingham, England and one of the manufacturers of fine British compacts. Today it is a division of Firmin and Sons of Birmingham. Stratton Convertibles could be used with pressed or loose powder.
T.L.M.– an English trademark
Tiffany–established in 1837 as Tiffany and Young, stationer and fancy goods emporium at259 Broadway in New York City. In 1851 Tiffany became the first American company to adopt the 925/1000 silver standard that became the standard forsterling. By 1853 the business was known as Tiffany & Co. It has long been the standard for luxury silver, platinum, jewelry and diamonds.
Tokalon – a French trademark, noted especially for its Petalia line of powder and cosmetics featuring a black capped smiling Pierrot face that is rumored to have been designed by René Lalique.
Tre-Jur – The House of Tre-Jur, United Toilet Goods Co., New York, N.Y.
VanCleef and Arpels – a jewelry business created by Charles, Julien and Louis Arpels in partnership with their brother-in-law Alfred Van Cleef in Paris in 1906. They opened their first US store in New York in 1942 and have become famous, along with Cartier, Boucheron and Tiffany as one of the world’s foremost jewelers. In the 1930s VCA patented the minaudière, an accessory meant to replace the handbag, that was the antecedent of the later carryalls manufactured by Volupte and Evans. In the 1950s VCA designed a series of compacts for Revlon.
Vashé – a maker of small fashionable compacts in the 1930s and 40s.
Volupté – Volupte Inc. 347 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Along with Evans, this company dominated the carryall market in the 1940s and 1950s.
W.B. – a trademark found in some Whiting and Davis fine mesh bags
Wadsworth – Wadsworth Watch case Co., Dayton, Kentucky, was established in 1890 as a maker of gold filled watch cases. In the 1940sand 1950s they also manufactured fine compacts. At and unknown date it was acquired by Parker Pen Co. and became Parker Pen Wadsworth.
Whiting and Davis – Whiting & Davis Co., Plainville, MA., (originally Wade Davis Co., founded 1876) manufacturer of fine mesh bags and accessories since 1896. The mesh was made by hand until 1912 when Whiting & Davis became the first company to use automatic mesh-making machinery invented by A.C. Pratt.
Wilardy–Wilardy Originals, a division of Handbag Specialties, Inc, Dallas, N.Y., a maker of acrylic purses in the 1950s that often included built-in compacts.
Yves St. Laurent - Yves Mathieu Saint Laurent was born in Oran, Algeria in 1936 to a wealthy family. By 1953 he was designing for Christian Dior, and by 1962 he introduced his first solo collection and his well known YSL trademark. In addition to his couture, he is known for his fine jeweled compacts.
Zell – Zell Fifth Avenue, one of the Fifth Avenues along with Rex, Columbia and Dorse
Glossary
ArtDeco– a term coined in the 1960s for the style of artistic decoration that followed Art Nouveau, characterized by high craftsmanship, bright colors and fine materials and by stylized patterns including zigzags, step patterns, fountains, chevrons and lightning bolts and stylized figures of females and animals, often dogs and gazelles. Influences from Cubism, the Jazz Age, Abstract art and from emerging machine design can be seen. Exotic themes, drawn especially from Egyptian, Oriental and even South American subjects were also popular. Art Deco can be found as early as 1914 in Paris and continued through the 1930s when its decorative nature was superceded by Modernism and machine inspired art. Its major expression is usually considered to be the International Exposition of Decorative Arts in Paris in1925.
Art Nouveau– a style of decoration popular during the late 19th and early20th centuries based on flowing lines and ornamentation drawn from nature – flowers, birds, leaves, insects and similar features. These features were stylized to sensuous lines and often were seen as symbols for various feminine attributes. For example, the peacock and the iris were seen to represent vanity. Art Nouveau (new art) was an attempt to create a new historical style of decoration in a reaction to the heavy use of historical ornament in the art and architecture of the 19t century. The name of the style is drawn from a Parisian art gallery called L’Art Nouveau opened in 1895 by Siegfried Bing. The style spread across Europe as Jugendstil (Germany), Sezessionstil (Austria), Stil Liberty (Italy) and Modernista (Spain).
Bakelite –moldablephenolic resin developed by Belgian born Dr. Leo Baekeland and patented in1910. The patent was acquired by the Catalin Corporation in 1927 and the product became know as Catalin. Production ceased in the 1940s.
To test for bakelite use hot water or 409. All plastics which either have anon-Bakelite odor when warmed under hot water, or which do not react to 409 are assumed to be Celluloid, Lucite, or one of a myriad of other plastics.
HOT WATER TEST
Provided that the piece does not incorporate string, wood, hand painted decoration, or other non-plastic decorative materials; hold the edge of the piece under HOT running tap water for up to 30 seconds and then smell it. Bakelite has a characteristic Phenol or fresh shellac odor. No odor probably means that the piece is Lucite.
409 TEST
Test on a small area, preferably on the reverse of a pin or the inside of a bracelet. Put a small amount of 409 on a swab and rub it on the test area for a few seconds. If the swab develops a yellowish residue no matter what color the plastic is, then it is likely that the piece is bakelite. wash the test area immediately afterwards with mild dishwashing soap and warm water and towel dry immediately afterward.
Basse-taille – the method used to create guilloché designs where a metal surface is engraved and then covered with translucent colored enamel. Also called translucent enameling.
Belais – a trademark for a white metal process of David Belaise, Inc. of New York. Their motto – “the white gold that stays white”
Bevel – a sloping edge to a flat surface
Butterfly wing– the wings of the Amazonian Blue Morpho used for costume jewelry and cases
Cabochon–a rounded smetal set as a jewel with no facets
Cameo – a gem, metalor shell with a figure carved in relief. The design arises by the artist’s choice of metals that have different colored layers so that the carved layer contrasts in color the layer beneath it. Cameos were often produced in plastics for vanity items.
Carryall – also called minaudière, a cosmetic case that may include other items like a cigarette case, a lighter, a comb, a card case made popular in the 1940s and1950s by companies like Evans, Elgin and Volupté. Carryalls are larger and heavier than their earlier cousin the vanity case.
Celluloid – a tough, flammable thermoplastic consisting of nitrocellulose from spun cotton or paper and camphor invented by John Wesley Hyatt in 1848. It was widely used from 1890 to 1917 as a cheaper substitute for horn, tortoise shell, bone and ivory, primarily in false teeth and shirt cuffs and collars. Not only was it a cheaper to produce, but it could be molded by machine without expensive hand work by artisans. Production ceased when it was banned by Federal law due to the highly flammable nature of the material.
Champlevé – an enamel technique in which enamel is fused onto the incised or hollowed areas of abase.
Chasing –ornamental engraving in metal
Chatelaine – small objects like scissors, perfume bottles, pencils, compacts, keys, suspended on a series of ornamental chains from a belt or brooch
Cloisonné –fused glass or enamel in cells separated by thin strips of metal soldered to a base forming a design.
Cochineal – red dye made from the insect, Dactylopius coccus used in rouge and lip color.
Compact - a mirrored receptacle for face powder and sometimes rouge and other makeup small enough to fit in a purse.
Dance compact– another name for a tango compact
Decal – a designer picture that is applied by transference rather than by hand-painting.
Demi–an early carryall that could hold powder, puff, coins and comb with another empty compartment for money or cards but too small for cigarettes.
Double compact– a compact with a mirror holding both rouge and powder.
Enamel - a glass-like mixture of silica, quartz, borax, feldspar and lead with metallic oxides added for color. The mixture is ground to a fine powder, applied to the compact and then the compact is fired top a temperature of ca. 1700° F so the mixture melts and adheres to the metal. Each color is fired separately. Each has a different melting point, so the one with the highest is fired first. Naturally it is important that the metal of the compact have a melting point above 1700° F.
Engine-turned –ornamental engraving, in a circular or linear pattern, done by machine.
Faux – false or imitation, used to describe costume gems and pearls
Femme – female figures, often nude or semi-nude, used in cosmetic advertising and design
Figural compact– one that is made in the form of something else like a baseball, piano or sardine can.
Filigree – fine lace-like metalwork done in wire
Flapjack–a round thin compact with a diameter of more than 4”
Frenchivory or ivorine – imitation ivory in plastic
Fucus - (Roman - stibium) a generic term for paints applied to beautify the face usually made of lead, chalk or isin glass before the development of modern cosmetics.
Glove compact– a tiny compact small enough for a lady to insert in the palm under her opera gloves.
Gold metal– a generic term for the gold colored metal used for compacts that may or may not contain any gold
Guilloché–transparent enamel layered over a prepared metal surface, usually engine-turned
Hallmark – a mark usually found on gold and silver objects to identify the maker, the place of manufacture or the quality of the metal
Incised – a surface engraved deeply with a sharp tool
Intaglio – a figure or design sunk below the surface of an object
Kamra, Kamra-Pac – a compact style suggesting the shape of a small camera.
Lid – the top of the compact that is opened by a latch and raised to expose the interior
Lip view – a lipstick case with an attached mirror. Stratton of London often produced Lap views to match their compacts.
Lucite – an acrylic resin invented in 1931 by chemists at Dupont that can be molded and polished. Lucite® methyl methacrylatepolymer was among the first plastics derived from petrochemicals. DuPont chemists discovered Lucite in 1931 while exploring the high-pressure technology developed for ammonia production. The polymer’s crystal-clear appearance and its strength were far superior to nitrocellulose-based plastics. Lucite was in heavy demand during World War II for use in windshields, nose cones, and gunner turrets for bombers and fighter planes. After the war, DuPont marketed it for use in a variety of decorative and functional uses, such as lamps, hairbrushes and jewelry.
Marcasite –crystallized white iron pyrites or tiny bits of cut and faceted steel used as tiny gems.
Minaudière – a rigid evening bag with compartments for such things as cigarettes, powder, lipstick, coins, etc first produced by VanCleef and Arpels under this title. VCA still holds the patent on the name. A carry-all
Mirror – the looking glass of glass (beveled or not) or shiny metal usually found within a compact.
Mother-of-pearl – MOP, the iridescent lining of oyster shells used in many decorative applications.
Necessaire – a smaller minaudière
Nickel Silver– a hard alloy of nickel, copper and zinc
Niello – a black compound of silver or copper used to fill engravings to highlight details.
Nymph or Nymph-Faun – the dancing and often nude woodland figures employed in compact decoration, often in silhouette.
Old Mine Diamonds - Goldmine diamonds were cut between 1850 and 1900. They were cut square or cushion cut, rather than round. They were not carefully and uniformly faceted as diamonds are today and so their brilliance varies considerably from diamond to diamond.
Patent cosmetics – in the late 19th century, those cosmetics manufactured by companies for public consumption, as opposed to the home-made cosmetics still used at the time by many women.
Petitpoint or Petit Point– tiny needlepoint stitches, usually 40-60 per square inch, used to form a design or picture.
Pierrot - the 17th century clown from French pantomime adapted from the Italian Comedia dell’arte known for his white face and melancholy demeanor. He is in love with Pierrette but she does not always return his love - she runs hot and cold. When she returns his affections, they can be seen sitting together on the crescent of the moon. When she ignores him, he sits on the moon by himself, strumming his mandolin and pining for his beloved. He is usually wearing a black skull cap and a traditional white clown outfit with ruffled collar and big black buttons down the front.
Pli – a telescoping feathered powder puff that twists out of a tube.
Post-Decoor 1940s Baroque – a style of decorative art popular in the late 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s that involves the use of Classical, Baroque and overblown Art Deco motives as hyperbole within the context of Modernism. Elements include heavy curving and scrolling, oval cartouches, oversized shells, plumes and vegetal features and crescents as well as stylized animals, especially gazelles, and human figures. Examples can be found in the decoration of the Paris apartment of Helena Rubinstein by Louis Sue, as well as in movie and set design. The interior of Ballon Munsen’s Casino in Buenos Aires in the film Gilda (1946 –Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford) designed by Steven Gooson and Van Nest Polglase, the interior of the nightclub in Lured (1947 –Lucille Ball, George Sanders) designed by Nicolas Remisoff, the nightclub and Room 314 of the Hotel Atlantico in Rio, in Romance on the High Seas (1948 – Doris Day, Jack Carson) designed by Howard Winterbottom and the Club Florian with the architecture in Patsy’s dream sequence in 2 Girls and a Sailor (1944 – June Allison, Van Johnson and Gloria DeHaven ) designed by Edwin B. Willis under the direction of Cedric Gibbons are but four examples.
Powderette – a cylindrical container that releases powder at one end when tapped.
Powder well– the area within a compact where the powder was kept.
Powder wheel– the mechanism in some compacts and vanities that opened and closed the powder well and sometimes ground the powder to a fine dust.
Pressed Powder– loose face powder that has been pressed into a cake with some oily agent
Rouge pan– the location of cheek rouge within a compact. Sometimes this rouge also served as lipstick and was applied with the little finger.
Saddlebag – a vanity or compact of trapezoidal shape with the widest side curved at the bottom.
Scenic compact– one with some sort of scenic landscape representation on its lid.
Sterling – fine silver composed of .925 parts silver and .075 parts copper. 800 silver is a slightly lesser grade of silver composed of .800 parts silver and .200 parts copper, often used with enameling on compacts to better withstand the heat required to bake the enamel.
Tango chain– the chain attached to a tango compact.
Tango compact– a compact suspended from a decorative chain usually with a finger ring or lipstick attached, also called a pendant compact
Transfer image – an image placed by decal or printing and not hand painted.
Vanity, Vanity case – a receptacle for ladies makeup that might include a mirror, powder, rouge, coin holders, perfume flasks, lipstick, eye makeup, comb, pencil, pad, cigarette case and other items, usually small enough to fit in a purse. Vanity cases were popular until WWII when manufacturing restrictions on metals became too strict to make them profitable.
Vanity bag– a small evening bag that includes a compact usually as the top of the bag.
Vanity purse– a purse that incorporates a compact either as its top or bottom.
Vermeil – gilded silver with a gold plate or wash
Wedgwood - fine English pottery from the workshop of Josiah Wedgwood and his descendants known for cameo-like reliefs of Classical subjects on a matte background of pale blue, green or pink.
Whoopee handle– a rigid swinging handle sometimes attached to small round or hexagonal compacts that can act as a stand when swung to the rear.
White metal or Silver metal – generic terms for silver colored metal used for compacts that may or may not contain any silver
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