found the bottle of Azurea by L.T. Piver in a small store at a local antique mall. I first noticed the tall glass stopper, then the beautiful Art Nouveau label. The bottle was more than half full and a quick online search (how in the world did we survive before smartphones?) revealed Azurea was released in 1897.
From perfumeproject.com:
Azuréa was created for L.T. Piver by chemist/perfumer Pierre Armigeant (1874-1955) in collaboration with chemist George Darzens. It was launched in 1897 and, by 1901, was firmly entrenched in "better" stores throughout France and the United States — and other countries where Piver products were marketed.
A February, 7, 1907 copy of the Atlanta Constitution indicates that Azuréa was currently being sold at Keely's department store in that great American city.
There was also a box of Azurea powder next to it with the same label, and sniffing it helped me determine the juice in the bottle was, indeed, original. I didn't buy the powder because I don't collect vintage body products or their packaging, but the delicate aroma of Azurea won me over. I'm pretty sure my bottle is from a much later date than the turn of the previous century, though it's obviously old (it's identical to the one at the top left in the above 1927 ad); the fact the perfume is alive and wearable was thrilling.
The flower on the label is a blue iris, so it's interesting to note that the very same year Piver also launched Iris Blanc (via cleopatrasboudoir.com). I wish I could smell that one and compare, because Azurea smells like iris, though more like the smaller wild flower than the rooty and earthy iris butter. It's very powdery and has a hefty dose of heliotrope. It dries down to a sweet baby powder and lasts for about 2 hours on my skin.
There's something fascinating in owning and wearing something so long ago. It's pretty and it's different. I can see the clothes, hats and antique cars, Art Nouveau decorations in the boudoir, breakfast served on a silver tray and managing a huge household and its staff. Basically, I wear Azurea and become Lady Marjorie Bellamie from Upstairs, Downstairs for a couple of hours.
I just purchased an unopened bottle of Azurea quite reasonably from an online auction. It is the same as in the 1927 ad, although a little worn and missing the original lovely container. I was thrilled to find your comments on this relatively unknown gem. I am eagerly anticipating its arrival and am hoping that my unopened bottle will be wearable like yours. I am simply happy to find someone to verify that the juice could; in fact, remain intact. I'm sure there are many other factors that contribute to its wearability over time, but it's good to know that there is some product out there that has survived. And, I'm glad to have a thorough description. So, thank you for all your hard work and please, please keep it up! There are many of us that you are unaware of that use your blog on a regular basis for reference and research in our pursuit of divine vintage fragrances.
ReplyDeleteWith Gratitude,
Lynev