GLOSSARY K - O
K
Kalos. American. Cosmetics line made by E Burnham Inc, Chicago, Illinois. Kalos (the name probably deriving from Greek) was introduced in 1908 and it was the major brand used by E Burnham to market its cosmetics products.
Krank. American. A J Krank Manufacturing Co, St Paul, Minnesota. Established in 1884 as a cutlery manufacturing business it began making barber’s supplies, including beauty products, in 1908. A brief dalliance with face powders and related cosmetics, packaged in vanity cases, from between mid 1920s to mid 1930s. Reverted to barber’s supplies and face creams from the late 1930s and was in business until at least the mid 1960s.
Krasny. American. A cosmetics line introduced by Luxor Ltd in 1927. Influenced by the interest in Russian emigrés in Paris in the mid 1920s, the line was a disaster lasting only until 1930. There are a few examples of compact cases and sampler tins for Krasny all showing the Art Deco-influenced design of repeating triangles.
L
La Blache. American. A face powder product made by The Ben Levy Co, Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1871, La Blache first appeared in 1879 and it was advertised intensively (one of the first face powder products to be promoted in this way) in the major American circulation magazines. La Blache was packaged in cardboard until November 1924 when metal compact cases were introduced for a few years. Management passed to the Block Drug Company in 1934 with no references to La Blache after then.
La Charmeuse. American. A cosmetics line made by the Crystal Chemical Co, New York, New York. Released in about 1919 La Charmeuse face powder was packaged in cardboard vanity boxes but not metal. No references to La Charmeuse after 1920.
La Fleurette. American. A cosmetics line made by the Crystal Chemical Co, New York, New York. Released in about 1919 La Fleurette was acquired in 1919 from the short-lived La Fleurette Company. La Fleurette face powder was the first Crystal Chemical Co product to be marketed in metal compact cases. There is evidence of La Fleurette compacts up to about 1925 and these may be marked La Fleurette Laboratories. No references to La Fleurette after 1925.
La May. See L'Amé.
L'Amé. American. A cosmetics line made by Herbert Roystone Inc, New York, New York. Released in 1915 as a face cream product it was extended to face powder and rouge in 1917. Many different vanity boxes and compact cases including a double hinged case designed by Roystone and all decorated with the L'Amé logo of Columbine and Pierrot. The brand became Roystone's best seller and he even changed the company name to L'Amé Inc but the company failed in 1928. Also known as La May, the phonetic equivalent in English.
Lanchere. American. Perfume and toilet requisites line introduced in 1919 by Marshall Field Department Store, Chicago, Illinois. Lanchere was developed by an immigrant English perfumer and chemist, Harold Lancaster. Lanchere was probably a play on words of Lancaster's last name but it would rival Blue Rose as Marshall Field's most successful in-house perfume lines. There are many examples of, typically square, Lanchere compact cases from the 1920s and 1930s . Because it sounded French, Lanchere was used by Marshall Field as the supposed perfumery responsible for the creation of their perfumes. Ceased in 1936.
Lander. American. Lander Co, Binghamton, New York. Established as a subsidiary of Carlova Inc, also based in Binghamton, to manufacture toilet preparations under the Pixie label. Created the Elizabeth Post cosmetics line in 1934 and also Hollywood Eve Toilet Products. Manufactured the ill-fated Mary Pickford cosmetics line between 1938 and 1940. No known compact or vanity cases bearing the Lander name but Mary Pickford and Elizabeth Post compact cases can be found.
La Rêverie. French. Used on an aluminium compact box marketed by Félix Boissard C1914. It may also have been a perfume line but this has not been confirmed.
Levy, Maurice. French. The Maurice Levy Co, New York City. Established in 1897 by Felix Levy (father of Maurice) as an importer of French toilet goods and as a manufacturer of powder puffs. Established The Hygienol Company and French Cosmetics Manufacturing Company in 1915 and a large powder puff manufacturing factory in New Rochelle in 1916. Sometimes given credit, incorrectly, for inventing the first metal lipstick tube in the US. Evidence of one compact case marketed in the early 1920s carrying the Hygienol brand name.
Loveland, William H. American. William H Loveland Co, Binghamton, New York. Established in about 1910 by William Loveland as a retail drug business but expanded to manufacture perfumes and toilet articles from 1912. William H Loveland marketed face powder and rouge under the Juliette brand from 1923. Loveland established a separate company with E C Carter known as Carlova Inc in about 1920.
Loveland, Winifred V. American. Winifred V Loveland, New York, New York. Established in 1917 as a novelty manufacturer specialising in hand made embroidered designs, especially of exotic birds. The company quickly moved to marketing toilet preparations and decorating face powder vanity boxes. Used the trademark Wina Love in about 1920 and also provided decorated cases for Vantine's. No records after 1922. Not to be confused with William H Loveland.
Luxor. American. a perfume and cosmetics brand made by The Department of Soap and Toilet Requisites of the Chicago, IL Meat Packing business, Armour & Company. With first use being claimed from 1910, Luxor's first product was a cold cream with face powder following in C1914. The first Luxor vanity box was for Luxor Rouge in C1915. Luxor Ltd became the name of Armour's cosmetics manufacturing business in C1919. The Luxor brand and Luxor Ltd existed until 1948 when it was acquired by Lever Brothers. There are many different types of vanity cases and compacts that carry the Luxor name.
Lybis. American. A cosmetics line made by Luxor Ltd in C1926. Lybis (the name Sybil spelt backwards), had a very brief life with only one metal compact case being associated with its name.
M
Madame Ise'Bell's Toilet Manufacturing Company. American. A toilet preparation and beauty business established in Chicago. IL in 1882. Purchased by the Memphis, TN - based Plough Chemical Company in 1923. There is evidence of just one Madame Ise'Bell's vanity case dating from about 1922.
Maison Dorin. French. Originally established as a theatrical make-up business in Paris in C1780, it was purchased by J M Dorin in C1817. By the 1880s the company was in the hands of M Monin and this was when the first Dorin compact rouges were exported to the US, the first evidence of compressed powders in that country. Dorin was among the first cosmetics companies to package its products in metal containers. There is evidence of a 1911 aluminium container marketed in France and a brass rouge box marketed in the US C1915. Called La Dorine, its influence was such that compacts became known as 'Dorines' for a few years. Dorin's agent in the US was F R Arnold who trademarked a number of Dorin lines such as Dorin D'Or. Dorin left the US market in 1923 after a dispute with its agent but continued to operate in France. The company was resurrected in recent years as a perfumer.
Margo. American. A cosmetics brand made by Elmo Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Released in 1919 Margo was one of the earlier lines made by Elmo and was probably named after one of Elmo’s founders – Margaret McCann. There is no record of Margo face powder being packaged in metal compact cases marked with the Margo brand.
Mary Scott Rowland. American. New York, New York. Established in 1887 by Mary Scott Rowland as a face massage business. She became one of America's first 'beauty experts' with syndicated newspaper columns appearing from 1897. Notable for filing one of America's first patents for a portable toilet powder box in 1896. She was a true cosmetics pioneer. Her company changed hands in 1907. Under Goodman Woolf's management the first Mary Scott Rowland compacts were marketed in the early 1930s. Last known compact was marketed in about 1946.
Mavco. American. A plastics manufacturing company created by and named after Malcolm A Vendig in C1939. Originally set up to manufacture plastic novelties such as cigarette cases, Mavco moved to making compacts once the United States created an embargo on the use of brass and other non-precious metals for purposes other than war materiel. Vendig joined the Army and his wife, Eleanor, and business partner James Beveridge ran the business and were responsible for Mavco's best known cases. Some cases were marketed using Eleanor's maiden name - Eleanor Hamlin. Production of compacts ceased in C1949.
Mission Garden. American. Cosmetics line made by the California Perfume Co, Suffern, New York. Launched in 1922, probably to compete with Rigaud’s Mary Garden line, Mission Garden face powder and rouge was offered in metal compact cases as well as cardboard puff boxes. Examples are very rare.
Moon Dream. American. Trademark for perfume and cosmetics filed by The Talcum Puff Co in 1921 with first use claimed from 1919. Involved in a lawsuit with E Burnham Co and their trademark for Moon Kiss.
Moon Kiss. American. Trademark for perfume and cosmetics filed by The E Burnham Co in 1922. The trademark was cancelled in 1924 because it was too similar to The Talcum Puff Company's trademark Moon Dream that was filed in 1921. The fact that Moon Kiss had been used since 1911 and Moon Dream only since 1919 made no difference. It was all about who filed for trademark protection first.
Mrs McCormick’s. American. A brand of cosmetics marketed by the Behrens Drug Co of Waco, Texas from about 1908. Mrs McCormick’s Beauty Rouge, was marketed in cardboard compact cases from about 1915 and a few years later, metal compact cases were used. Very rare.
Mur Je. American. A cosmetics brand made by Elmo Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Released in 1919 Mur Je was one of the first lines made by Elmo. There is no record of Mur Je face powder being packaged in metal compact cases marked with the Mur Je brand.
N
National Trading Company. See Norida.
Norida. American. Cosmetics and case manufacturer established in Chicago, IL as The National Trading Company, by Joseph Baer in C1923. Launched its first non-spill 'Vanitie' in November 1924 and also created ' Norida Parfumerie' with its Fleur Sauvage line. Relocated to New York in November 1926 where it released its Aristocrat line of compacts, as well as a line known as Aderon. Manufactured compacts for D'Haussy and J C Penney. Norida went bankrupt in 1930 and much of their equipment was purchased by The Majestic Metal Specialities Company.
Nymfaun. American. Cosmetics line introduced by The Pompeian Company in January 1923. Short-lived it also had its own range of unique vanity cases in either gold tone or black.
O
Ortesa. American. Cosmetics line made by the The Baldwin Perfumery Co, Chicago, Illinois released in about 1923. Ortesa compact cases date from between 1923 and 1925. The Baldwin Perfumery Co was in business until at least 1929.
Ouida. American. A cosmetics brand registered by Charles Isenberg, Philadelphia, Pennsylania in 1916. The brand was used in association with at least two types of early compact case between 1920 and 1924. No other details are available.
Outdoor Girl. American. A cosmetics line made by the Crystal Chemical Co, New York, New York. First manufactured in 1928, this product was based on a patent registered by Sidney Picker for an olive oil-based cosmetic. This successful product was sold worldwide and was also manufactured in England. It was packaged both in small cardboard boxes as well as small metal containers without mirrors. Distinctively decorated with the figure of a windswept female golfer Outdoor Girl was designed for, well, outdoor girls. The product was sold in 1935 to Affiliated Sales who also owned Edna Wallace Hopper, Kissproof and Louis Philippe lines.