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A Different Natoma Container
Updated Article: To jump right in and get you the "Bottom Line Up Front" (the BLUF), this is the first example found thus far of the Natoma Rose perfume being put up in this particular A-Size (1/2 ounce) container. And, based on the label, this item was probably sold around 1916 to 1918. The Natoma fragrance line is one of the most sought after in all of California Perfume Company collecting. The real attraction of these bottles rests solely in their labels which depict the portrait of a young Native American maiden (read McConnell's real inspiration for the Natoma name). Consequently, the maiden's portrait also attracts the attention of bottle collectors, perfume collectors, tin collectors, and, of course, collectors of items bearing the Native American likenesses. All that is to say, the competition to purchase/acquire one of these rarities can be quite stiff! The California Perfume Company used this particular style of A-Size bottle to put up many of its fragrances from approximately 1909 through the very early-1920s, primarily in sets such as the Holly Sets. (Note: this bottle, however, was not from a Holly Set; only triple-extract fragrances were sold in the Holly Set. The Natoma Rose was classified as an "Extra Concentrated" perfume.) Often the distinguishing factor for determining the date of one of these bottles is the glass stopper. The style of the glass stopper was basically changed from year to year (see the Floral Perfume Section for examples). The Natoma fragrance was available from late-1911/early 1912 through 1923. The company introduced the Natoma Rolling Massage Cream and the Natoma Talcum Powder. It wasn't until 1914 that the CPC began selling the Natoma Rose perfume in one and two ounce bottles. In 1915 and 1916, Natoma Rose perfume was available in one, two, and four ounce bottles; The company did not offer the A-size container in either 1915 or 1916 catalogs. (I do not have a 1917 catalog. I do have a 1918 catalog.) By 1918, Natoma Rose perfume was packaged in the A-Size along with the one, two, and four ounce bottles. An interesting anomaly about this A-sized bottle is the use of the Natoma Rose Special 1/2 ounce bottle--designated the Gift Box N. So, knowing the company transitioned to dedicated A-sized bottle and label-style around 1918 to 1919 (also seen in the Natoma section), I strongly believe that this rarity dates to the 1917-1918 time frame. Keep looking for these neat treasures out there! I believe there are still so many more to find! Good hunting! If you have any thoughts on this article, please write to me at russell (at) californiaperfumecompany.net. |
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The Little Dot Set Dilemma Solved!
Until now, I scoffed at the very idea that a "Little Dot Set" ever really existed, though I saw it mentioned time and again in the Avon Collector's Guides and Encyclopedias as well as on many web sites! Of all these "Little Dot Set" claims, none attributed the information to any originating source--none were verifiable. The fact is that I only have two original California Perfume Company documents that mention the "Little Dot Set"--there may be a couple more if I look a little longer. The two documents are "Avon's 50th Year Celebration Outlook", June 1936, and Avon Outlook, Anniversary Campaign, May 24th to June 13th, 1938. There is an allusion to the Little Dot Set in the Representative's gift "Avon's Tribute to Me" produced in 1939, but it is not specifically named. The interesting thing is that these documents were produced in 1936 and 1939--fifty years after McConnell started his business! My difficulty with that fact is that McConnell produced his autobiography and short historical account of the CPC in 1903--within 20 years of the company start. William Scheele, the CPC's Treasurer and General Manager, prepared the short, "Story of the CPC" in 1916. The company also produced the very well done, "Introducing You To The CPC," in 1928. And that's not to mention the plethora of CPC and Avon Outlooks and CPC bulletins...oh yes, and catalogs, brochures, and order forms. In all that documentation (to which I have had direct access to at least 1000 items--most of which are in my own personal collection), I have not found the "Little Dot Set" mentioned anywhere else. But then!!! As I was working on further updates to the web site, I reread a passage in the "Avon's 50th Year Celebration Outlook". "Mr. McConnell trained his sales force, and tried out various products, taking them direct to the consumer--the customer. But one day, a set of perfume was brought to him, consisting of three bottles of perfume and an atomizer. It was called " The Little Dot Set." The sets were ordered, and the sales force found they made an instant hit. And the product was found! Perfumes - and later on household goods and cosmetics - this was the proper product. This brings the entire dilemma into crystal clarity! There may be no documentation (early catalogs or order forms or anything else) identifying the set as the "Little Dot Set," however, the Flowers Set was definitely a huge success! So much so that, in one form or another, the multiple-perfume set remained on the order sheets throughout the California Perfume Company era and well into the Avon Products, Inc. rein. Since the above picture exactly mirrors the description of the "Little Dot Set," and it comes within 11 years of the start of the company, I believe that the Flowers Set above IS that long-lost "Little Dot Set." If you have any thoughts on this article, please write to me at russell (at) californiaperfumecompany.net. |
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December 1906 CP Advertisement
As many of you know, I actually started out my California Perfume collecting with a particular focus on the paperwork: catalogs, brochures, Outlooks, Bulletins, customer handouts--the list can be virtually endless. I believe the real allure of the paperwork comes from the wealth of historical information that can be gleaned from any and all bits and scraps...often it's like cracking open the annuls of history, thus giving us a glimpse of the past, our past, a bygone era. Within that paperwork genera, national-level advertisement takes a premier spot! With the recent purchase of a December 1906 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, I now have acquired the full year's offering. Consequently, the discovery of the above pictured 1/4 page CP advertisement (see above right) is particularly intriguing to me. The first instance of the California Perfume Company engaging in a national level marketing campaign occurred in March 1906 with a similar 1/4 page advertisement announcing the company's new odor: Roses. Until recently, I surmised that McConnell only ran these 1/4 page ads in subsequent Good Housekeeping magazines through October 1906...then I acquired the November 1906 issue...and now this December 1906 issue. So, the fact is that McConnell purchased his run to include ten months of 1/4 page advertising (I am trying now to locate a January 1907 Good Housekeeping magazine to verify my little theory.) Interesting highlights are that 1) the series seems to end with Roses perfume, just as it started; and 2) the Phelps Publishing company once again got the CP company address wrong--128 Chambers Street (please see the July through November advertisements). On an interesting side note, it was during this same general time frame that McConnell was engaged in advertising Goetting & Co., New York. In 1905 and 1907 McConnell purchased two advertising runs in somewhat substantive daily news outlets comprising ten successive advertisements on ten successive weeks. The last advertisement ran just before Christmas (see one of these Goetting ads). I mention this "side note" primarily due to McConnell's use of ten success intervals (weeks or months)...and it seemed to work! An Update to this Article: I did purchase a January 1907 Good Housekeeping magazine. I meticulously searched the pages front to back and I found NO advertisement for the California Perfume Company. So, it's official! The first advertisement run--at least on a national scale--ran for ten months in the March through December 1906 editions of Good Housekeeping magazine. |
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The 1914 8-Ounce Violet Toilet Water
This is a special treat in deed! Any time that
two or more different-sized items of a
particular product -- in this case, two Violet
Toilet Waters from approximately 1914 -- are
displayed side-by-side, it gives one a much
better appreciation for the products
manufactured, the array of customer purchase
choices, and, sometimes, just the plain beauty
associated with the larger bottles...as in this
case as well. Note the label on the eight ounce
bottle. It contains embossed scrolling on the
upper and lower portions of the label. From the
CPC catalog view, and those examples seen in the
Collector's Encyclopedias, the scrolling is not
visible. I, myself, thought that the label was
poorly cut resulting in overly wide borders.
But, as hopefully can be seen in this photograph
above, that is not the case. And the glass
bottle itself is also quite beautiful and
ornate. |
| A Threesome Back Together Again!
We all know that David H. McConnell was a door-to-door book salesman that started his (now) world wide cosmetics empire by offering sample perfumes to those who would preview his books. McConnell found the perfumes to be much more popular than his books and the rest, as they say, is history… The most awesome aspect of collecting California Perfume Company memorabilia and products is finding those really rare treasures…and recently, I was blessed to acquire the rarest of the rare: three California Concentrated Extracts, the earliest examples of CPC Flavoring Extract found to date (see above picture.) In the picture are three key items in the CPC’s historical development. The first item is a two ounce Concentrated Extract of Onion that I purchased in November, 2004. This exquisite example represented the oldest known two ounce CPC flavoring extract discovered until that time (another Onion – duplicate to the two ounce above – was later sold on e-Bay also). This acquisition spurred subsequent research that revealed some very interesting, and telling, facts: The particular label style depicted on the Onion extract was also illustrated in the 1897 CPC catalog....so, the important thing to me was to determine a viable, logical manufacture date for the bottle – thus, from a little research with the right material (that took years to gather), came the following: 1) The California Perfume Company apparently did not sell flavoring extracts prior to 1896 (sources: 1895/6 representative order form, 1896 company invoice, pre-1896 representative business card); 2) The first flavoring extracts were probably introduced in late-1896, early-1897 (sources: 1896/7 representative case, 1897 catalog); 3) 16 flavoring extracts were initially offered in ONLY two ounce bottles (source: 1896/7 representative case); 4) 21 flavoring extracts put in two ounce, one pint, and one quart bottles were offered in 1897 (source: 1897 catalog); and 5) 22 flavoring extracts put up in two ounce, four ounce, one pint, one quart, half gallon, and one gallon bottles were available in 1898 (source: 1898 catalog). Continuing, the one gallon Concentrated Extract of Vanilla is the true home run of this triple hitter. This is the oldest and largest CPC extract bottle ever discovered. Bud Hastin explained that he had only seen maybe three bottles, including this one, in his entire Avon and CPC collecting carrier that was this big or this old. Bud further likened the discovery of this bottle to using all of the oil from a 5 liter plastic jug and placing the empty plastic jug on a shelf for the next 110 years. What’s the likelihood of that?!?! Lastly, due solely to the kindness of Mr. Richard Pardini, I was given the opportunity to own his one quart Concentrated Extract of Lemon in December, 2006 that he acquired over 20 years ago…bringing these three excellent artifacts of the early California Perfume Company together for the first time in over 100 years. One additional note: there is no Eureka Trademark on the labels. The Eureka Trademark was first used by the CPC in 1898 and depicted on many of its products thereafter…including their Concentrated Flavoring Extracts as illustrated in the 1898 CPC catalog. |
