La Fougeraie Au Crepuscule by Coty: launched in 1928, in USA by 1932, it is said to be Francois Coty's final perfume before his death in 1934. Reportedly took 5 years to perfect.
So what did it smell like? It is classified as a cool woodsy floral fougere fragrance for women. La Fougeraie au Crépuscule was described as "a sweet bouquet with a dominant floral note of a sophisticated type." The perfume was originally tinted green, over the years, it has darkened.
A 1932 ad reads:
A 1933 ad reads:
The elegant bottle was designed by Pierre Camin and was in the shape of a tall column made up of clear crystal and instead of a paper label, the perfume's name was acid etched on the front panel. The ground glass stopper was of demi-lune shape and molded with a stylized floral frieze. The bottle stands 5.51" tall and holds 1 2/3 oz of Parfum.
Fragrance Composition:
- Top notes: bergamot, almond, geranium, aldehydes
- Middle notes: fern, lavender, hay, herbs, carnation, spices, jasmine, rose
- Base notes: vanilla, tobacco, ambergris, oakmoss, sandalwood, patchouli, woods, labdanum, musk, tonka bean, vetiver
Philippine Magazine, 1928:
"La Fougeraie au Crépuscule expresses the dark, cool mystery of ferns at twilight. In a crystal column."
A 1932 ad reads:
"Fernery at Twilight - to say it in English, an enchanting Coty perfume. A mysterious commingling of dew and the mood of a fernery at twilight captured and cool."
A 1933 ad reads:
"Program for a successful summer - overlay your bright modern mind with a film of demureness, wear skirts that swish, and trust confidently to "Fernery at Twilight" - Coty's grand new perfume success. "La Fougeraie Au Crépuscule" is the essence of the mode - an apparent guileless odeur, masking subtleties unspoken. A forest glade seeped with the ferns delicate, heady witchery - was Coty's inspiration for this newest Perfume."
A 1934 ad reads:
Illustrated London News, 1934:
A 1935 ad reads:
Another 1936 ad reads:
Other perfumers advised women to seek out perfume based on their personalities or moods rather than their looks. These marketing techniques worked and thousands of bottles of perfume were purchased, probably by those who needed to buy gifts for others or were unsure of what perfumes to wear.
"Fernery at Twilight $1.50. Coty's compelling perfume not yet known to too many. The poignant dewy scent of twilight falling on a fernladen vale."
Illustrated London News, 1934:
"LA FOUGERAIE AU CREPUSCULE. A most appealing fragrance— warm, exotic, subtly reminisce it of a tropical fernery at sunset. In tasseled presentation box."
A 1935 ad reads:
"FERNERY at TWILIGHT. A perfume redolent with rich twilight fragrances of the Royal Fern. Genuine Cut Glass Perfume Bottle with each dram."
A 1936 ad reads:
"the truly great perfumer Coty excels in the creation of dramatic perfumes ... the mystery of ferns at twilight in La Fougeraie au Crepuscule."
Another 1936 ad reads:
"Fernery at Twilight - a subtly different fresh perfume one that seems to interpret the magic of lush ferns by moonlight - $2.00 to $20.00"
In the 1920s and 1930s, it was customary for perfume companies to introduce the idea that women of certain complexion or hair color would be better suited to particular perfumes. Incidentally, perfumers said, blondes should wear light perfume, brunettes, heavy Oriental perfumes.
- For Blondes: Paris, L'Aimant, L'Effleurt, La Rose Jacqueminot & L'Or.
- For Brunettes: L'Aimant, L'Origan, Emeraude, Chypre, Ambréine, Fougeraie au Crépuscule, or Styx.
- For Red-Haired Women: Emeraude, Paris, L'Origan, L'Ambre Antique, Iris & Cyclamen.
Other perfumers advised women to seek out perfume based on their personalities or moods rather than their looks. These marketing techniques worked and thousands of bottles of perfume were purchased, probably by those who needed to buy gifts for others or were unsure of what perfumes to wear.
- For the Woman of Sunny Joyous Type: L'Effleurt, Muguet & Violette.
- For the Woman of the Dreamy Elusive Type: Jasmine de Corse, La Jacinthe & Lilas Blanc.
- For the Exotic Types: Chypre, Violette Pourpre, Ambre Antique
- For the Mysterious Types: Ambre Antique, Styx & Cyclamen
- For the Brilliant Sophisticated Temperaments: Emeraude, Paris, L'Origan
Bottles and Packaging:
The Parfum in the 1 2/3 oz size retailed for $10 in 1932. This was the Deluxe Flacon. According to an inflation calculator, this would cost $217.01 in 2024.
Woman's Home Companion, 1933:
"Fernery at Twilight—Coty's newest odeur-—in dew-clear crystal, $10."
The New Yorker, 1936:
The box for the perfume had a beautiful agate like decoration and a special message is on the back: of the box "Décor reproduction fougère d'Agathe - Or Gisements Impériaux du Japon." The message means "Decoration is a reproduction of Fern Agate -from the Imperial Gold Mines of Japan". Also printed on the containers and the bottles is: "La Fougeraie au Crepuscule Composition originale de Coty Paris — France. "
"Set out today... find your Coty perfume ... and more moments in your life will be dramatic moments! In the flacon of gleaming crystal ... Fernery at Twilight (La Fougeraie au Crepuscule) at $5, $10 and $20."
1933 ad reads:
"Fernery at Twilight -Coty fragrance, a twilight poem rich, mysterious, scintillant is surely the gift for a treasured few on your holiday list Just in time for Christmas shoppers, it is presented at Joseph Horne's in a new size for $5.00, the same agate -like tasseled box, the same rare essence, but a more convenient price. Also at $10 and $20 sizes as well for all who wish them."
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c1936 Petit Modele, created by Coty's own glassworks. Photo by ebay seller jessiecat
In 1936, Coty introduced their mini size perfume bottles called the Petit Modele, replicas of their deluxe size bottles. The deluxe size bottles were designed by Lalique, but made by Coty's own glassworks. The same goes for their mini bottles.
The face powder sold for $1.50 in 1932, and it would cost $32.55 in 2024.
Chemist & Druggist, 1933:
"The first of these new products is a series with the intriguing name La Fougeraie au Crepuscule (which we will leave our readers to translate for themselves); this is issued as perfume, powder, bath salts and so forth; the perfume is contained in a slide box with tassels and in a face powder in an equally distinctive box with with an "ebony" base and carved vermillion feet."
A face powder was also available in this scent in the 1930s. The exquisite faux shagreen paper covered box rested on red bakelite feet. Harper's Bazaar reports that : "Rachel Nacre (a Coty "La Fougeraie au Crepuscule" powder) Light and, at first glance, quite neutral. It has a definite apricot cast, however, and this makes it very becoming. Offsets sallowness to a fine degree. "
Fate of the Fragrance:
Discontinued, date unknown. Seems to have been discontinued after 1960 as I can no longer find any newspaper ads for it.
Bom dia. Poderia me ajudar a identificar de qual empresa seria um porta perfume, com as inscrições D.R.G.M.77598 Hc estilizado terminando em ponta de flecha. Desde já agradeço a atenção.
ReplyDeleteBom dia!
DeleteD.R.G.M. signifies "Deutsches Reichs-Gebrauchsmuster" and is a design or use patent somewhat similar a "Registered" mark that provides an initial three years protection extendable for another three years to six maximum. These were first issued starting in 1891 and were discontinued after WWII. They were for technical improvements (not designs) and do not have a parallel in the American or British systems. Almost of the original DRGM files from 1891 to 1934 were lost or destroyed. The DRGM system was used from 1891-1951, but as I stated, the earlier records are no longer available to search.
If there is a German patent number or DRGM number on an item, this does not mean that the inventor of the DRGM is also the manufacturer of the item. That may be so, but does need not be: Sometimes, it is just shown that the manufacturer of the item is authorized to use the DRGM.