GLOSSARY P - T
P
Pearl Plume. American. Face powder product introduced by Henry Tetlow in 1905. No evidence of Pearl Plume having been packaged in metal vanity cases or compacts.
Peerless. American. Peerless Complexion Powder was a face powder product made by Chas M Rich, New York, New York, a minor perfume and toilet goods manufacturer in about 1894. Peerless Complexion Powder was packaged in an American Stopper Co vanity box in about 1912. The company was later acquired by the Marietta Stanley Co.
Photo Finish. American. A cosmetics brand made by Elmo Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Released in 1941 this was the last really successful line made by Elmo. Its entry just before America’s entry into WWII meant that there were few metal Photo Finish compact cases. Most were made from plastic from 1943 onwards.
Pierrette. American. A cosmetics line made by the DePree Chemical Co, Holland, Michigan as part of its San-Tox brand and introduced in 1919. There is evidence of one metal compact case, manufactured by The Zinn Corporation in about 1924, but the Pierrette trademark was acquired by the United Toilet Goods Co and would form the basis of the Tre-Jur logo later in 1924.
Pompeian Bloom. American. A rouge product introduced by The Pompeian Company C1916.
Pompeian Company. America. Established by Fred Stecher in Cleveland, OH in the early 1890s as a barber supplies business. He invented an after shave massage cream in the late 1890s but found that women used it as a face cream. Pompeian moved into mainstream cosmetics manufacture by C1916 with a headline rouge product marketed as Pompeian Bloom. Pompeian was an early adopter of metal vanity cases from 1917 onwards. Introduced a new line, Nymfaun in January 1923. A separate Pompeian business was established in the UK with its own compact cases. Pompeain was acquired by Colgate in April 1927 who sold it in 1930.
Pompeian Massage Cream. American. Face cream product introduced by The Pompeian Company in the late 1890's.
Poudre D’Illusion. American. A line of face powder made by Elizabeth Arden Inc, New York, New York. Launched in 1916 Poudre D’Illusion was packaged as a loose powder in a light pink cardboard box fitted with a press stud to hold the lid close. It was very similar in design to the 1915 Lorscheider Schang box used for pressed powder which was used by; United Drug, Vivaudou, Lazell and Solon Palmer as one of the earliest pressed powder containers in America. There are no known compact cases associated with the Poudre D’Illusion line.
Pussy Willow. American. Face powder product introduced by Henry Tetlow in 1915. No evidence of Pussy Willow having been packaged in metal vanity cases or compacts.
Q
R
Ra Lo. American. A cosmetics brand made by Elmo Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Released in 1919 Ra Lo was one of the first commercially successful lines made by Elmo. It was long-lived and was available until the company dissolved in about 1956. While Ra Lo face powder would have been packaged in metal compact cases, none were marked with the Ra Lo brand.
Rho Jan. American. Compact manufacturing business established as a Co-partnership between Eddie and Betty Michals and Henry and Yvette Bogoff in Chicago, IL in C1944. The name Rho Jan came from the daughters of the two founding couples - The Bogoff's Rhoda and the Michals' Janet. Rho Jan was noted for its large, plastic, compacts but also produced metal cases after the end of WWII. The business folded in C1948.
Roystone, William Herbert. American. Cosmetics manufacturer. Established De Meridor Co in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1905 (face cream). Following the sale of De Meridor he established Herbert Roystone Inc in New York, New York in about 1912. He marketed a new product line - L'Amé that included face powder from 1917. Designed innovative packaging for L'Ame powder products and registered a number of patent inventions in the early 1920s. There is evidence of a number of different vanity cases used by Roystone, all decorated with his trademark image of Columbine and Pierrot. The company went into receivership in 1928.
S
Sanitol. American. A chemical company established in St Louis in C1898 by Herman C G Luyties, son of Herman Luyties the famous homeopathic chemist. The Sanitol Chemical Laboratory Company was created to manufacture an antiseptic dentifrice but moved into mainstream production of toilet preparations in the early 1900s. The company was an early adopter of vanity cases used for advertising using a C1912 tin case made by The American Stopper Company. The only other vanity case marketed by Sanitol was for its Frivole line in C1920. Sanitol was purchased by Richard R Warner in February 1922.
San Tox. American. A line of pharmaceutical products, including cosmetics, made by the DePree Chemical Co, Holland, Michigan. Introduced in 1913 San-Tox face powders were, seemingly, packaged only in cardboard boxes.
Satin. American. Face powder product made by Albert F Wood, Detroit, Michigan first used in 1885. It was sometimes marketed in a small metal container without a mirror probably dating to no earlier than 1910. Surviving examples are very rare.
Savoir Faire. American. Perfume and cosmetics line made by Dorothy Gray Inc, New York, New York and launched in 1947. The line’s central motif of a black mask was used to great effect on an oval vanity case. Probably the most collectible of all Dorothy Gray cases.
Schimper, William. See William Schimper Company.
Silvaray. American. Cosmetics line made by BeeDeeKay Laboratories, New York, New York, released in 1929. The company marketed a number of different compact and vanity cases under the trademark Silvaray between 1929 and the mid 1930s. BeeDeeKay Laboratories continued in business until the late 1930s.
Spiehler. American. Adolph Spiehler, Rochester, New York. Perfumers. A small perfumery established in the 1890s which probably went out of business in 1929. Spiehler did, occasionally, market face powder infused with some of his perfumes, such as Thirza, but examples are very rare.
Splendor. American. A perfume and cosmetics line made by Colgate Co, New York, New York and first released in 1912. Splendor was one of a new range of Colgate perfume lines that would be marketed with a full range of cosmetics products. Splendor loose powder was offered in small metal sample boxes but there is no evidence that Splendor was offered in compact form.
Swan Down. American. Face powder brand acquired by Henry Tetlow for $550 in 1875 and became The Henry Tetlow Company's most enduring product. There is evidence of late 1920s metal compact cases marked 'Henry Tetlow's Swan Down', but these are rare.
Sweet Sixteen. American. Face powder product trademarked by Henry Tetlow in 1916. No evidence of Sweet Sixteen having been packaged in metal vanity cases or compacts. Sweet Sixteen was also a face powder product used by The California Perfume Company (Avon) as early as 1906 but the name was never protected by trademark.
Symphonie. American. Cosmetics line made by the Armand Co, Des Moines, Iowa. Launched in 1930, Symphonie face powder and rouge was offered in a range of different compact case designs from 1930.
T
Talcum Puff Company. American. Face powder manufacturer, Asheville, North Carolina. Established in 1902 by Percy Ephraim Page to manufacture talcum powder, tooth powder, soap and other toilet articles. 1904 he invented a technique of aerating powder calling it Air Float. One of the earliest patents for a metal face powder container in 1907. Another best seller Fleur De Glorie was launched in 1921. Originally, it was known as Fleur De Gloire but the similarity of the name to another product marketed by Frederick Stearns of Detroit probably forced the change in name. Some Fleur De Gloire -branded containers do exist but these are very rare. More common are Fleur De Glorie cases with the iconic dancing girl. Company purchased by The Bo-Kay Perfume Co of Jacksonville, Florida in 1929.
Terri. American. Cosmetics and vanity case manufacturer. Terri Inc was established in 1924 in New York, New York by T E Ryan. Closely associated with The American Perfumers' Laboratories Inc and probably with the small perfume business, The Carroll Co of New Haven, Connecticut. Especially known for its unique vanity cases made from bakelite and for the distinctive Spanish-themed decorations used on Terri packaging as well as some vanity cases. In 1926 Terri manufactured cases for Dermay, a minor New York-based cosmetics business. The company ceased operations around 1935.
Tetlow, Henry. American. The Henry Tetlow Co, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Claimed as being established in 1849 the company started off as a soap manufacturer and progressed into perfumes and toilet articles such as face powder. Discovered a safe and cheap base for face powder, using zinc oxide, in 1866. Best known for Swan Down (1875), Gossamer (1876), Pearl Plume (1905), Blue Moon (1911), Pussy Willow (1915) and Sweet Sixteen (1916). Very colourful advertising in his packaging and in promotional cardboard fans. Split with brother Daniel in mid 1880s. Company operated until the early 1940s. Not to be confused with The Tetlow Manufacturing Company.
Tetlow, Daniel. American. Established the Tetlow Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the early 1880s after a split from his brother and The Henry Tetlow Company. Daniel Tetlow became a direct competitor, manufacturing a range of face powder products. Best known for Eider Down (1888), Dermis (1892), Floridena (1892), Fleur de Lis (1906) and Fair Maid (1912). The only known metal vanity box marketed by The Tetlow Manufacturing Company was for Fair Maid. The case was manufactured by The American Stopper Company in 1912. The Tetlow Manufacturing Company failed in about 1923.
Thinpact. American. A trademark registered by Colgate Co, New York, New York for a certain type of compact case and first released in 1924.
Tijade. American. Cosmetics line made by the American Druggists’ Syndicate (ADS), Long Island City, New York. Released in 1924 it was associated with the ADS cosmetics line, D’Arline (released in 1923). Compact cases bearing both names are in evidence.