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The '''Osmothèque''' (from Greek ''osmē ‘scent’'', patterned on French ''bibliothèque ‘library’'') is the world’s largest [[Olfaction|olfactory]] [[archive]], a leading international research institution tracing the history of [[Perfume|perfumery]], based in [[Versailles]] with conference centers in [[New York City]] and [[Paris]]. Founded in 1990 by [[Jean Kerléo]] and other senior perfumers including [[Jean-Claude Ellena]] and [[Guy Robert]], the Osmothèque is internationally responsible for the authentication, registration, preservation, documentation and reproduction of thousands of perfumes gathered from the past two millennia, archived in their original formulation at the Osmothèque repository and consultable by the public. Exclusive to the collection are countless rare masterpieces elsewhere discontinued or reformulated, including [[François Coty]]’s ''Chypre'' ([[Coty]]), the ''Eau de Cologne Extra Vieille de [[Johann Maria Farina|Jean-Marie Farina]]'' ([[Roger & Gallet]]) and [[Paul Parquet]]’s ''Fougère Royale'' ([[Houbigant (perfume)|Houbigant]]), as well as numerous personalized fragrances worn by historical figures such as [[Elizabeth of Poland, Queen of Hungary|Elizabeth of Poland]], [[Napoleon]] and [[Eugénie de Montijo]]. Since 2008, [[Patricia de Nicolaï]] has served as the institution’s president. |
The '''Osmothèque''' (from Greek ''osmē ‘scent’'', patterned on French ''bibliothèque ‘library’'') is the world’s largest [[Olfaction|olfactory]] [[archive]], a leading international research institution tracing the history of [[Perfume|perfumery]], based in [[Versailles]] with conference centers in [[New York City]] and [[Paris]]. Founded in 1990 by [[Jean Kerléo]] and other senior perfumers including [[Jean-Claude Ellena]] and [[Guy Robert]], the Osmothèque is internationally responsible for the authentication, registration, preservation, documentation and reproduction of thousands of perfumes gathered from the past two millennia, archived in their original formulation at the Osmothèque repository and consultable by the public. Exclusive to the collection are countless rare masterpieces elsewhere discontinued or reformulated, including [[François Coty]]’s ''Chypre'' ([[Coty]]), the ''Eau de Cologne Extra Vieille de [[Johann Maria Farina|Jean-Marie Farina]]'' ([[Roger & Gallet]]) and [[Paul Parquet]]’s ''Fougère Royale'' ([[Houbigant (perfume)|Houbigant]]), as well as numerous personalized fragrances worn by historical figures such as [[Elizabeth of Poland, Queen of Hungary|Elizabeth of Poland]], [[Napoleon]] and [[Eugénie de Montijo]].<ref>[Stamelman, Richard Howard., and Michael Freeman. Perfume: Joy, Obsession, Scandal, Sin : A Cultural History of Fragrance from 1750 to the Present. New York, NY: Rizzoli, 2006. Print. </ref> Since 2008, [[Patricia de Nicolaï]] has served as the institution’s president. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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Rarities from the Osmothèque’s collections include examples of ancient perfumery, such as the ''Parfum Royal'' of the [[Parthia|Parthian]] kings as described by [[Pliny the Elder]] in the [[1st century]], medieval [[Toilet water|toilet waters]] such as the [[14th century]] ''Eau de la reine de Hongrie'' of [[Elizabeth of Poland, Queen of Hungary|Elizabeth of Poland]] and [[18th century]] powders such as the ''Poudre de Chypre''. |
Rarities from the Osmothèque’s collections include examples of ancient perfumery, such as the ''Parfum Royal'' of the [[Parthia|Parthian]] kings as described by [[Pliny the Elder]] in the [[1st century]], medieval [[Toilet water|toilet waters]] such as the [[14th century]] ''Eau de la reine de Hongrie'' of [[Elizabeth of Poland, Queen of Hungary|Elizabeth of Poland]] and [[18th century]] powders such as the ''Poudre de Chypre''. |
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Equally unique is a major collection of [[19th century]] perfumes from leading houses such as [[Guerlain]], [[Houbigant (perfume)|Houbigant]], [[Parfums Lubin|Lubin]], [[Parfums Millot|Millot]], [[L. T. Piver|Piver]] and [[Roger & Gallet]], including the ''Eau de Cologne Extra Vieille de [[Johann Maria Farina|Jean-Marie Farina]]'' (Roger & Gallet) from 1806 and [[Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain]]’s ''Eau de Cologne Impériale'' (Guerlain) created for [[Eugénie de Montijo]] in 1853. Also from the period is the eau de cologne made for [[Napoleon]] in 1815 during his exile on [[Saint Helena]]. |
Equally unique is a major collection of [[19th century]] perfumes from leading houses such as [[Guerlain]], [[Houbigant (perfume)|Houbigant]], [[Parfums Lubin|Lubin]], [[Parfums Millot|Millot]], [[L. T. Piver|Piver]] and [[Roger & Gallet]], including the ''Eau de Cologne Extra Vieille de [[Johann Maria Farina|Jean-Marie Farina]]'' (Roger & Gallet) from 1806 and [[Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain]]’s ''Eau de Cologne Impériale'' (Guerlain) created for [[Eugénie de Montijo]] in 1853. Also from the period is the eau de cologne made for [[Napoleon]] in 1815 during his exile on [[Saint Helena]].<ref>[Stamelman, Richard Howard., and Michael Freeman. Perfume: Joy, Obsession, Scandal, Sin : A Cultural History of Fragrance from 1750 to the Present. New York, NY: Rizzoli, 2006. Print. </ref> |
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The largest portion of the Osmothèque’s archives is devoted to modern perfumery (beginning in the late [[19th century]]), presenting innumerable original masterpieces now discontinued or reformulated, including [[Henri Alméras]]’ ''Le Fruit Défendu'' ([[Parfums de Rosine|Rosine]]), [[François Coty]]’s ''Chypre'' ([[Coty]]) and ''Emeraude'' (Coty), [[Ernest Daltroff]]’s ''Tabac Blond'' ([[Caron]]), [[Aimé Guerlain]]’s ''Jicky'' (Guerlain) and [[Paul Parquet]]’s ''Fougère Royale'' (Houbigant) and ''Le Parfum Idéal'' (Houbigant). Also present in their original formulation are countless of today’s bestsellers, including [[Ernest Beaux]]’s [[Chanel No. 5|''No. 5'']] ([[Chanel]]), [[Jacques Guerlain]]’s [[Shalimar (perfume)|''Shalimar'']] (Guerlain) and [[Edmond Roudnitska]]’s ''Eau Sauvage'' ([[Christian Dior S.A.|Christian Dior]]). |
The largest portion of the Osmothèque’s archives is devoted to modern perfumery (beginning in the late [[19th century]]), presenting innumerable original masterpieces now discontinued or reformulated, including [[Henri Alméras]]’ ''Le Fruit Défendu'' ([[Parfums de Rosine|Rosine]]), [[François Coty]]’s ''Chypre'' ([[Coty]]) and ''Emeraude'' (Coty), [[Ernest Daltroff]]’s ''Tabac Blond'' ([[Caron]]), [[Aimé Guerlain]]’s ''Jicky'' (Guerlain) and [[Paul Parquet]]’s ''Fougère Royale'' (Houbigant) and ''Le Parfum Idéal'' (Houbigant). Also present in their original formulation are countless of today’s bestsellers, including [[Ernest Beaux]]’s [[Chanel No. 5|''No. 5'']] ([[Chanel]]), [[Jacques Guerlain]]’s [[Shalimar (perfume)|''Shalimar'']] (Guerlain) and [[Edmond Roudnitska]]’s ''Eau Sauvage'' ([[Christian Dior S.A.|Christian Dior]]). |
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Revision as of 12:00, 18 June 2013
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| Established | April 26, 1990 |
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| Location | 36 Rue du Parc de Clagny 78000 Versailles |
| President | Patricia de Nicolaï |
| Public transit access | Gare de Versailles-Rive-Droite |
| Website | osmotheque.fr |
The Osmothèque (from Greek osmē ‘scent’, patterned on French bibliothèque ‘library’) is the world’s largest olfactory archive, a leading international research institution tracing the history of perfumery, based in Versailles with conference centers in New York City and Paris. Founded in 1990 by Jean Kerléo and other senior perfumers including Jean-Claude Ellena and Guy Robert, the Osmothèque is internationally responsible for the authentication, registration, preservation, documentation and reproduction of thousands of perfumes gathered from the past two millennia, archived in their original formulation at the Osmothèque repository and consultable by the public. Exclusive to the collection are countless rare masterpieces elsewhere discontinued or reformulated, including François Coty’s Chypre (Coty), the Eau de Cologne Extra Vieille de Jean-Marie Farina (Roger & Gallet) and Paul Parquet’s Fougère Royale (Houbigant), as well as numerous personalized fragrances worn by historical figures such as Elizabeth of Poland, Napoleon and Eugénie de Montijo.[1] Since 2008, Patricia de Nicolaï has served as the institution’s president.
History
The founding of the world’s first international olfactory archive was initially proposed to the Société Française des Parfumeurs in 1976 by Jean Kerléo, then head perfumer at Jean Patou, in an effort to formally record and preserve the history of perfumery. Kerléo proposed attempting to reconstitute various discontinued classics according to their original formulae, working in collaboration with the world’s foremost perfume houses and perfumers. An advisory committee was thus assembled, composed of experts Jean-François Blayn, Raymond Chaillan, Jean-Claude Ellena, Yuri Gutsatz, Jeannine Mongin, Raymond Pouliquen, Guy Robert and Henri Sebag.
After successfully reproducing the discontinued perfumes of Jean Patou, Jean Kerléo and his team were entrusted in 1986 with the formulae of the defunct Parfums Millot, among them the 1925 classic Crêpe de Chine by Jean Desprez. Kerléo’s reconstitution, completed a year later with perfumer Aimable Duhayon, impressed many within the industry, a major catalyst for the launch of the proposed olfactory archive. When in 1988 the project won the support of both the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Versailles and the Comité Français du Parfum, a repository facility was provided on the premises of the Institut Supérieur International du Parfum, de la Cosmétique et de l'Aromatique alimentaire. There the Osmothèque was officially founded on 26 April 1990 with an initial collection of 400 perfumes, both those reproduced by the Osmothèque and those supplied by external perfumers at houses such as Chanel, Guerlain and Lanvin.
The collections
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The Osmothèque is currently the world’s largest olfactory archive, storing over 3 000 perfumes from the past and present in their original formulation, all preserved at a constant temperature under argon gas. Perfumes accepted into the collection are either those reconstituted by the Osmothèque’s internal perfumers (known as osmothécaires) using archived formulae or those supplied by external perfume houses, analyzed and authenticated by the Osmothèque’s archivists. As a legal deposit archive, the Osmothèque receives a supply of all new perfumes produced in France and much of the world, in addition to those obtained through its program for content acquisitions.
The institution also maintains a substantial reference library of fragrance bases and aromatic sources, both natural and synthetic, historical and contemporary, as well as a vault inaccessible to the public containing historical perfume formulae, many unusable due to a lack of corresponding raw materials. The role of chief archivist is currently filled by Patricia de Nicolaï, having assumed the presidency of the Osmothèque from Jean Kerléo in 2008.
Rarities from the Osmothèque’s collections include examples of ancient perfumery, such as the Parfum Royal of the Parthian kings as described by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century, medieval toilet waters such as the 14th century Eau de la reine de Hongrie of Elizabeth of Poland and 18th century powders such as the Poudre de Chypre.
Equally unique is a major collection of 19th century perfumes from leading houses such as Guerlain, Houbigant, Lubin, Millot, Piver and Roger & Gallet, including the Eau de Cologne Extra Vieille de Jean-Marie Farina (Roger & Gallet) from 1806 and Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain’s Eau de Cologne Impériale (Guerlain) created for Eugénie de Montijo in 1853. Also from the period is the eau de cologne made for Napoleon in 1815 during his exile on Saint Helena.[2]
The largest portion of the Osmothèque’s archives is devoted to modern perfumery (beginning in the late 19th century), presenting innumerable original masterpieces now discontinued or reformulated, including Henri Alméras’ Le Fruit Défendu (Rosine), François Coty’s Chypre (Coty) and Emeraude (Coty), Ernest Daltroff’s Tabac Blond (Caron), Aimé Guerlain’s Jicky (Guerlain) and Paul Parquet’s Fougère Royale (Houbigant) and Le Parfum Idéal (Houbigant). Also present in their original formulation are countless of today’s bestsellers, including Ernest Beaux’s No. 5 (Chanel), Jacques Guerlain’s Shalimar (Guerlain) and Edmond Roudnitska’s Eau Sauvage (Christian Dior).
Other services
The Osmothèque maintains an active website, including an online database detailing the institution’s collections.
Various conferences for professionals, researchers, students and members of the public are regularly offered at the Osmothèque’s headquarters in Versailles, as well as at conference centers at the Galerie de Nicolaï in Paris and the Academy of Perfumery & Aromatics in New York City. In addition, the Osmothèque frequently organizes partner exhibitions and conferences with museums around the world, including the Musée International de la Parfumerie and the Smithsonian Institution.
The Osmothèque also publishes books on the subject of perfume, in addition to a bilingual periodical titled Les Nouvelles de l’Osmothèque.
See also
- Archives
- Archives nationales (France)
- Bibliothèque nationale de France
- ISIPCA
- Jean Kerléo
- Library of Congress
- Museum of Arts and Design
- National Archives and Records Administration
- Patricia de Nicolaï
- Perfume
- Smithsonian Institution
- Versailles
References
- ^ [Stamelman, Richard Howard., and Michael Freeman. Perfume: Joy, Obsession, Scandal, Sin : A Cultural History of Fragrance from 1750 to the Present. New York, NY: Rizzoli, 2006. Print.
- ^ [Stamelman, Richard Howard., and Michael Freeman. Perfume: Joy, Obsession, Scandal, Sin : A Cultural History of Fragrance from 1750 to the Present. New York, NY: Rizzoli, 2006. Print.