Scent and Subversion: Decoding a Century of Provocative Perfume

322 Pages·2013·6.69 MB·English

by  Barbara Herman

Copyright © 2013 by Barbara Herman ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of
this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from
the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press,
Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.
Lyons Press is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.
Project editor: Ellen Urban Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Herman, Barbara.
Scent and subversion : decoding a century of provocative perfume / Barbara
Herman.
pages cm
Summary: “An intriguing look at vintage perfume’s powerful past, including
reviews of more than 300 scents, with stunning period advertisements
throughout”—Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-1-4930-0201-6 (epub) 1. Perfumes—History—20th century. 2.
Perfumes—Social aspects—History—20th century. 3. Perfumes industry—History
—20th century. 4. Advertising—Perfumes industry—History—20th century. 5.
Perfumes—History—20th century—Pictorial works. I. Title.
GT2340.H46 2013
391.6’30904—dc23
2013027423
In loving memory of my grandmother, Nhieu Thi Tran,
a formidable woman if there ever was one.
Bourjois ad, 1926
Contents
Copyright
PART I: INTRODUCTION
My Chemical Romance: Why the Perfumed Life Is Worth Living
Why Vintage?
Take a Whiff on the Wild Side
Smell Bent: The Subculture of Perfume Lovers and the Resurgence of Scent
Scent Is Subversive
PART II:
Twentieth-Century Perfume Profiles
The Icons of Modernity:
Fougère Royale, Jicky, Chypre (1882–1919)
Fragrance Fantasias:
Shalimar, Emeraude, Chanel No. 5 (1920–1929)
The Dirty ’30s:
Tabu, Scandal, Shocking (1930–1939)
The New Look, The New Scents:
Vent Vert, Femme, Miss Dior (1940–1949)
The Bold and the Beautiful:
Intimate, Cabochard, Youth Dew (1950–1959)
Flower Power:
Norell, Fidji, Calandre (1960–1969)
A Breath of Fresh Air:
Aliage, Diorella, White Linen (1970–1979)
Think Big:
Paris, Poison, Paloma Picasso Mon Parfum (1980–1989)
Water, Water, Everywhere:
CK One, L’Eau D’Issey, Laundromat (1990–2000)
PART III:
The Future of Scent and Subversion
Scent Visionaries Antoine Lie and État Libre d’Orange’s Sécrétions
Magnifiques:
Fragrance Meant to Disturb
Christopher Brosius of CB I Hate Perfume:
Mixing Memory with Desire
Sissel Tolaas:
Scent as Communication and Information
Martynka Wawrzyniak:
“Smell Me”: An Artist’s Olfactory Self-Portrait
A Brief History of Animal Notes in Perfume
Perfume 101:
How to Become an Informed Perfume Lover
Starting a Vintage Perfume Collection:
Some Tips
Acknowledgments
Glossary
Recommended Reading
Index
About the Author

PART I
INTRODUCTION
My Chemical Romance:
Why the Perfumed Life Is Worth Living
“Food, clothing, shelter, perfume.” Such was perfume’s power that for many years,
this accurately depicted my hierarchy of needs. (Advertisement from 1971)