Grace Elizabeth Arnone Hummel
Perfume Historian | Independent Researcher | Writer | Antique Dealer & Collector
Welcome to My World of Bourjois
Welcome, and thank you for visiting!
My name is Grace Elizabeth Arnone Hummel, although many in the fragrance community know me as Cleopatra, the founder and author of Cleopatra's Boudoir. I am an independent perfume historian, researcher, writer, antique dealer, and longtime collector with more than twenty-five years of experience studying and documenting the history of perfumery, antique perfume bottles, cosmetics, and the decorative arts associated with fragrance and beauty.
Since establishing Cleopatra's Boudoir in 1999, I have devoted much of my work to researching, documenting, and preserving the histories of perfume houses, discontinued fragrances, rare bottles, and forgotten creations. What began as a personal fascination with antique scent bottles has developed into an extensive historical research project encompassing thousands of fragrances, manufacturers, advertisements, and related artifacts.
Today, my research extends across several specialized perfume history websites, each devoted to preserving a different chapter of the fragrance industry's extraordinary past.
This website is dedicated to the history and heritage of Bourjois, one of France's most enduring and historically significant names in cosmetics, beauty, and perfumery. Established in Paris in 1863 by Joseph-Albert Pons and subsequently developed under Alexandre-Napoléon Bourjois, the company began by producing theatrical cosmetics before becoming an internationally recognized name in fashionable beauty preparations and fragrance.
From its origins in the theatrical world of nineteenth-century Paris to its celebrated perfumes, colorful cosmetics, and innovative advertising, Bourjois offers a fascinating perspective on the evolution of French beauty culture.
My purpose is to explore and preserve this remarkable legacy, documenting the company's early products, celebrated fragrances, forgotten creations, decorative bottles, historic advertisements, cosmetics, and the artists, perfumers, and entrepreneurs who helped establish its reputation.
Documenting the Fragrance Legacy of Bourjois
The history of Bourjois represents a particularly fascinating chapter in the development of modern cosmetics and perfumery.
Unlike many historic perfume houses that began as traditional perfumeries, Bourjois emerged from the theatrical world of Paris, where performers required specialized cosmetics capable of withstanding the intense lighting and demands of the stage.
The company's early success was built upon theatrical makeup, including greasepaints, powders, and other preparations developed for actors and actresses. These products eventually found an enthusiastic audience beyond the theater, helping bring fashionable cosmetics into the everyday lives of women.
As Bourjois expanded, its product lines came to include face powders, rouges, soaps, toiletries, and perfumes, all presented with an appealing combination of French elegance, artistic packaging, and commercial innovation.
Among its most celebrated fragrances is Mon Parfum (1924), a perfume associated with the sophistication and glamour of the Roaring Twenties, and Soir de Paris (1928), known internationally as Evening in Paris, which became one of the most recognizable and beloved fragrances of the twentieth century.
The distinctive cobalt-blue bottles of Evening in Paris, together with the company's romantic advertising and beautifully coordinated gift sets, helped establish the perfume as an enduring symbol of accessible French glamour.
Yet Bourjois's fragrance history extends far beyond these famous creations.
The company's extensive historical catalog included numerous lesser-known perfumes, scented powders, soaps, cosmetics, toiletries, novelty presentations, and gift sets. Many have disappeared from the marketplace, surviving primarily through vintage advertisements, catalogs, packaging, and the occasional antique bottle.
I am particularly interested in documenting these forgotten products and reconstructing the broader history of Bourjois's fragrance and beauty collections.
Through this website, I hope to preserve not only the histories of individual perfumes but also the artistic, commercial, and cultural developments that helped establish Bourjois as an influential name in modern beauty.
My Research and Historical Approach
I often describe myself as a perfume historian and detective, because much of my work involves uncovering forgotten information and reconstructing histories from scattered pieces of evidence.
My research draws upon original perfume advertisements, vintage newspapers, trade journals, manufacturers' catalogs, department-store publications, patents, trademarks, business directories, archival photographs, museum collections, and surviving examples of antique perfume bottles and packaging.
I devote particular attention to establishing accurate introduction dates, identifying original bottle designs, documenting historical fragrance descriptions, and tracing changes in perfume presentations over time.
Whenever possible, I rely upon contemporary documentation rather than repeating information that has circulated without a verifiable historical source.
This approach is especially important when researching Bourjois, whose extensive international distribution, numerous product lines, and long commercial history can make the identification and dating of vintage products particularly challenging.
A fragrance may have appeared in several bottle designs, concentrations, sizes, or packaging styles depending upon the period and country in which it was sold. Some products remained available for decades, while others were discontinued, reformulated, or introduced under different names for international markets.
My research seeks to distinguish these historical variations and place them within a reliable chronological framework.
When investigating fragrance compositions, I distinguish between descriptions published by the original manufacturer, contemporary advertising language, later interpretations, and my own observations of surviving vintage perfumes.
I also recognize that perfumes change with age. Evaporation, oxidation, storage conditions, and the natural deterioration of aromatic materials can significantly alter the character of an old fragrance. Surviving samples may offer valuable historical clues, but they do not necessarily represent precisely how a perfume smelled when originally manufactured.
My goal is to present historically grounded research that allows readers to understand Bourjois's perfumes and beauty preparations as they were originally created, marketed, and experienced.
A Historical Resource for Bourjois Collectors and Researchers
I created this website for anyone who shares an interest in Bourjois's extraordinary perfume and cosmetics heritage, whether they are dedicated collectors, fragrance enthusiasts, antique dealers, writers, or researchers investigating the history of French beauty culture.
Visitors may use my articles to identify and date vintage Bourjois perfume bottles, compare historical labels and packaging, research discontinued fragrances, locate original advertisements, and learn more about the perfumers, designers, manufacturers, and business figures associated with the company.
I am particularly interested in documenting details that are frequently overlooked in modern fragrance references, including obscure product variations, original prices, early advertising descriptions, rare bottle presentations, and perfumes or cosmetics that have disappeared from the marketplace.
Because Bourjois developed an extensive range of fragrances, cosmetics, and toiletries, its surviving advertisements, catalogs, and packaging provide a valuable record of changing beauty practices and consumer preferences.
My research also examines the company's decorative powder boxes, rouge containers, vanity accessories, gift presentations, promotional novelties, and distinctive packaging, all of which contributed to Bourjois's recognizable identity.
For collectors, these historical details can help establish the approximate age, origin, and significance of a particular bottle, cosmetic container, or presentation.
For researchers, they can illuminate broader developments in perfume manufacturing, cosmetics marketing, mass-market advertising, retail distribution, and the relationship between theatrical makeup, fashion, and everyday beauty practices.
I hope this website serves as an accessible historical archive, bringing together information that might otherwise remain scattered among old publications, private collections, institutional archives, and difficult-to-find documents.
My Work Within the Perfume Community
Over the years, I have been fortunate to have my historical perfume research referenced, acknowledged, and appreciated by fellow collectors, authors, journalists, and institutions.
My writing has appeared on Fragrantica and in The Perfume Magazine, and I have previously served on Sniffapalooza's Fragrance Advisory Board and participated in Allure magazine's Beauty Panel. I have also been associated with the International Perfume Bottle Association (IPBA) and authored more than two hundred educational guides devoted to vintage perfumes and collecting.
My research has been cited or acknowledged in books and publications, including Lizzie Ostrom's Perfume: A Century of Scents, as well as historical and academic works examining perfume, decorative arts, and material culture.
Cleopatra's Boudoir has also received recognition from fragrance writers and collectors who have found its historical information useful.
The Beauty Bible blog affectionately described Cleopatra's Boudoir as a "Temple to Ancient Perfumes", recommending it to fellow fragrance enthusiasts.
Amelia of The Vintage Perfume Vault generously described my work as "a hero of the free information movement on the Internet and especially in the area of vintage perfume, without parallel."
Scent Grail has also characterized my research as a "gold mine about dating vintage perfumery."
I am sincerely grateful for these acknowledgments. My work has always been independently undertaken, motivated by curiosity, a love of history, and the belief that valuable historical information should be preserved and shared.
It is especially rewarding to know that research originally undertaken out of personal interest has become useful to collectors, authors, historians, and fellow enthusiasts seeking information about vintage perfumery.
Why Bourjois's History Matters to Me
Among the great French beauty houses, Bourjois holds a particularly fascinating position because its history reflects the transformation of cosmetics and perfumery from specialized luxury goods into fashionable products enjoyed by a much wider audience.
Its origins in the theatrical world of nineteenth-century Paris provide an especially intriguing connection between cosmetics, performance, fashion, and the changing social acceptance of makeup.
I find it fascinating that products originally developed for actresses eventually helped shape the beauty rituals of ordinary women.
The company's decorative powder boxes, colorful rouge containers, elegant perfume bottles, and beautifully illustrated advertisements are equally compelling to me. They offer a vivid record of changing artistic styles, from the refinement of the Belle Époque to the geometric sophistication of Art Deco and the increasingly modern advertising of the mid-twentieth century.
I am especially drawn to Bourjois's early twentieth-century perfumes and the artistic presentations that accompanied them.
The famous cobalt-blue bottles of Evening in Paris remain among the most recognizable objects in vintage perfume collecting. For many people, these bottles evoke memories of mothers, grandmothers, dressing tables, and the romantic appeal of French perfume.
Yet behind their familiar appearance lies a much broader history involving bottle manufacturers, packaging designers, advertising artists, international distribution, and the changing tastes of perfume consumers.
I find the stories behind these objects every bit as fascinating as the fragrances themselves.
A forgotten advertisement may reveal how a perfume was originally introduced to the public. An early department-store catalog can establish when a particular fragrance or presentation was available. A surviving bottle may help identify an unfamiliar stopper, label, or packaging variation. Even a brief reference in a historical trade publication can provide an important clue about a product's introduction or distribution.
Each discovery contributes another piece to our understanding of Bourjois's extensive history.
While Evening in Paris remains the company's best-known historic fragrance, numerous other Bourjois creations have slipped into obscurity.
I find these forgotten fragrances every bit as intriguing as the company's celebrated classics.
Every rediscovered Bourjois perfume represents another chapter in the history of French beauty and perfumery, and every surviving advertisement, bottle, or document offers an opportunity to preserve that story for future generations.
Bourjois, Parisian Glamour, and the Democratization of Beauty
One of the aspects of Bourjois's history that I find especially significant is the company's role in making fashionable cosmetics and beautifully presented fragrances accessible to a wider audience.
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, attitudes toward cosmetics were changing rapidly. Products once associated primarily with theatrical performers or fashionable elites gradually became accepted elements of everyday personal grooming.
Bourjois participated in this transformation by developing attractive, practical, and commercially successful beauty preparations that appealed to women beyond the traditional luxury market.
The company's colorful packaging, memorable advertising, and emphasis on Parisian elegance helped establish an identity that combined sophistication with accessibility.
Its history also offers an opportunity to examine the relationship between cosmetics and changing representations of femininity.
Vintage Bourjois advertisements reveal how beauty products were associated with romance, glamour, youth, sophistication, independence, and modernity throughout successive decades.
The international success of Evening in Paris is particularly significant. Its romantic name, distinctive blue bottles, and coordinated gift presentations helped create an enduring image of Parisian luxury that appealed to consumers far beyond France.
For many women, owning a bottle of Evening in Paris represented a small but meaningful connection to the elegance and romance associated with the French capital.
By studying these historical advertisements alongside surviving products, I hope to provide readers with a deeper understanding of how Bourjois helped shape the modern culture of fragrance and beauty.
Preserving Perfume History for Future Generations
Historical perfume research is an ongoing process. New documents emerge, previously unknown advertisements are discovered, and surviving objects sometimes challenge long-accepted information.
For that reason, I regard my websites as evolving archives rather than finished histories. I continually seek additional evidence, revisit earlier findings, and expand articles as new information becomes available.
My intention is not to speak on behalf of Bourjois or to present this website as an official company archive.
This is an independent historical research project, created out of a longstanding appreciation for the artistry of perfumery and cosmetics and a desire to make their history more accessible to collectors, researchers, and fragrance enthusiasts.
I hope readers will find the information useful, whether they are identifying an inherited perfume bottle, investigating a discontinued Bourjois fragrance, studying historical cosmetics, or simply enjoying a journey through the company's remarkable past.
Above all, I believe that perfume and cosmetics deserve to be studied not merely as beauty products, but as important parts of artistic, commercial, and cultural history.
A Personal Thank You
I am deeply grateful to the readers, collectors, historians, and fellow fragrance enthusiasts who have supported my work throughout the years.
Your questions, discoveries, contributions, and encouragement continue to inspire my research. Some of my most rewarding experiences have come from helping someone identify a treasured vintage perfume, rediscover a fragrance associated with a cherished memory, or uncover an overlooked detail about a historic beauty house.
I am especially appreciative of those who generously share photographs, advertisements, catalogs, personal recollections, and other historical materials that contribute to a fuller understanding of vintage perfumery and cosmetics.
My greatest hope is that the information preserved here will remain a useful reference for today's Bourjois enthusiasts and for the perfume historians and collectors of tomorrow.
Thank you for visiting and joining me in exploring the extraordinary fragrance and beauty heritage of Bourjois.
Happy collecting!
Grace Elizabeth Arnone Hummel
Cleopatra
Founder of Cleopatra's Boudoir
Independent Perfume Historian, Researcher & Writer
Southern New Jersey, USA
Contact: reinedeparfum@gmail.com
Preserving the past, one perfume at a time.
This website is an independent historical and educational resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially associated with Bourjois or its affiliated companies. All trademarks and brand names remain the property of their respective owners.
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