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History of Perfumes – La Parfumerie Discount Perfume Store Online
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As far back as 6,000 years ago, ancient cultures from the Orient and Middle East have burned fragrant substances for religious purposes -- the strong fragrances were used to carry messages to the higher powers. In some cultures certain fragrances were even more coveted than gold and when opened centuries later were found to have still retained their scent. As use of these fragrances grew in popularity among the ancient Greeks and Romans, people began to wear perfumes to invoke certain responses or show their social status.
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In the 14th century the first alcohol based fragrance was created for Queen Elizabeth of Hungary, known for her legendary beauty. So beautiful was she that a 25-year-old Polish King asked the 72 year old Queen for her hand in marriage. The "perfume" called Hungary Water was said to be responsible for preserving her great beauty.
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Queen Elizabeth
of Hungary
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Grasse, France
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In the 16th century when Catherine de Medici arrived in France from Italy to marry King Henry II, she set up the first perfume laboratory in Grasse, France, centuries later this region is still an international center for fragrance and flower production. Grasse was also the center for the industry of leather tanning. The two industries were combined taking leather gloves and perfuming them with exotic spices, amber, musk and jasmine so aristocratic men and women could hold them to their noses when in town, where sewage was not always properly disposed of. During the 18th century, when the leather industry dwindled, these craftsmen switched from gloves to manufacturing just perfumes, hence the birth of the perfume industry.
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King Louis XIV of France helped further along the evolution of perfume by requiring that each member of his court wear a new fragrance of his choosing each day. During this time perfume was strictly reserved for nobility, and was often presented in one-of-a-kind glass bottles. This trait earned King Louis XIV the title of "Perfume King".
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King Louis XIV
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The modern art of perfumery started in the early 1800's by Jean Maria Farina, his "Eau de Cologne" named for Cologne, Germany consisted of an alcohol and water base scented with essential oils of rosemary, lemon and bergamot. The theory was to have a formula that evaporated quickly leaving a soft citrus scent behind. The Farina perfume house still exists today, and under the direction of Roger et Gallet still produces the original "Eau de Cologne".
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Until the early 1900's the most exclusive perfumes were only sold in the major salons of Paris, France. It was not until 1931 that distribution of French fragrances came to the United States, and at the same time American design houses began to produce their own perfumes. With the birth of the ready-to-wear designer perfumes, there is now a perfume for every person and every lifestyle. |
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