Vintage Fragrance Ads – A Social, Cultural, Historical & Olfactory Prism

One of the threads that made me the happiest and of which I am extremely proud is my examination at vintage fragrance ads over the course of eighty years, from the Victorian era to the mid-20th century. The changes are a revealing insight into the history, society, culture, values, art, and hits of each era.

Early on, in the Victorian era, the ads were focused on chemist-based products. (I’m obsessed with one that says “Orange blossom cures all female diseases” and want it on a t-shirt). Later, they give way both artistically and scent wise in the Belle Epoque and Art Deco eras, continuing to change further with the decades that followed.

Vintage ad for Coty’s L’Origan, arguably the template for L’Heure Bleue

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