Collections have a way of growing that mystifies the collector.
I was collecting 18th and 19th century decorative perfume bottles
(bottles originally sold without the perfume inside) when an interesting commercial
bottle and case was spotted. I had no idea the adventure this little 3” bottle would take me on.
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The bottles shown here are not pristine. They have been used and then discarded into drawers. They have been forgotten for decades. Portions of the labels are worn away. The stoppers are stuck and perfume residue remains. Many are over 100 years old. A few are 140 years old. The bottles are shown in their not-so-perfect condition because mint condition bottles do not exist. These bottles offer valuable insights into the early days of the multi-billion dollar commercial perfume industry of today.
A special thank you to Janet Ziffer, a perfume bottle collector and friend, for editing this project.
Barbara W. Miller
March 2016
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