As women pursued more public lifestyles in the 1920s, the fashion and perfume industries grew. Fashion designers created specific scents to coincide with their new collections and paid great attention to the look of the bottles that contained them.
The stepped, faceted forms of these perfume bottles and their fan-shaped stoppers embody the pure geometry, bold color, and syncopated rhythm that characterized the modern style, now known as Art Deco. Markings on the underside of this set indicate that they were made in Paris and sold by Saks Fifth Avenue. In her later years, Elaine recalled that these sat in her adjoining bathroom, which Urban also designed. There are no visual records of the bathroom, but she remembered it was “also black.”
Vers le Jour Perfume Bottle
1925-26
René Jules Lalique (French, 1860-1945), designer
Glass
Gift of Faith and Sylvan Golder
1999.12a-b
Calendal Perfume Bottle
1929
René Jules Lalique (French, 1860-1945), designer
Glass
Gift of Faith and Sylvan Golder
1999.9a-b
Jaytho: Méchant Mais Charmant Perfume Bottle
1927
René Jules Lalique (French, 1860-1945), designer
Glass
Gift of Faith and Sylvan Golder
1999.10a-b
Guerlain: Shalimar Perfume Bottle
20th century
Baccarat Glasshouse (French est. 1764), manufacturer
Glass
Anonymous Loan
Sans Adieu Perfume Bottle
1929
René Jules Lalique (French, 1860-1945), designer
glass
Gift of Faith and Sylvan Golder
1999.11a-b