I’m back with compact, oui-kend finds! A mixture of, dare you guess, compacts and a couple of French collectibles found at my local flea market, The Golden Nugget in Lambertville, NJ.

Avon Fan

To start, I picked up a couple of attractive compact cases used by the California Perfume Company for their Avon line in 1930.

The fan design was one of three proposed by designer, Andrew Shields for the Fillkwik Company of Attleboro, MA.

Fillkwik appears to be an offshoot of the Aetna Manufacturing Company.  The name is possibly taken from a 1917 cigarette case created and branded as “Fillkwik”.

Connected with both companies, Swedish immigrant Leonard Dahlgren either created or managed the Fillkwik Company. He applied for two patents in late 1920 and early 1921 for cigarette cases. And it appears this company only produced quality cases.

Around 1925, four investors looked for a manufacturer with the equipment to make small cosmetic containers . Fillkwik fit the bill and at age 50, Dahlgren may have been looking to sell.

Andrew Shields, the brains, along with Charles Agard probably provided the capital for the purchase. Charles Polsey had both the financial skills and experience manufacturing compact and vanity cases. And Felix Miller was a toolmaker experience in the manufacturing of high-end vanity cases.

A fifth man, Albert Mullen, may have been involved as well. Mullen was a co-founder of The American Perfumers’ Laboratories Inc, (aka APLI). APLI produced cosmetics such as powder, rouge and lipsticks and acted as a distributer for other cosmetic companies. It packaged their products in either in-house designed cases or though patent owed designs.

By 1927, APLI was looking for a reliable manufacturer of cosmetic case and Fillkwik fit the bill.

The typical large and heavy compacts of the early 1920s were out. Women wanted something slimmer, lighter and more colorful to reflect the new Art Deco style. Oblong shaped cases that contained face powder, rouge, and a metallic mirror were the go-to style.

In 1930 Fillkwik made a radical choice. It started with a decidedly deco design by Felix Miller. The case has descending steps on one side, Different from anything they ever produced before, Andrew Shields enthusiastically, embraced the new look. Three purely Art Deco shapes were designed and produced.

APLI publicity material announced the designs as the Cathedral, Fan and Romanesque.

Of the three cases, the California Perfume Company selected the fan shape for their Avon line of compact powder and rouge.

Unfortunately, though very attractive, the petite size proved impractical for the average 1930s woman.  Ladies were using face powder regularly throughout the day and evenings to “touch-up” their faces. The small size of the (Avon) Fan and the Cathedral compacts simply didn’t hold enough powder for repeated application without refilling or switching out the compacts.   Produced only in 1931, examples of the Fan compact are rarely seen today.

And I picked up two! The interior of each compact varies from the other.

Marcel Franck Perfume Atomizer

I picked up the next item solely on its Art deco aesthetic.  It is heavy and while it does work, it could use a good shot of WD40!

The “Escale” mount (bulb) dates this piece to production between circa 1935 and 1972. This is an elegant and understated piece of Art Deco. The base is rectangular crystal and decorated with grooves in the thick ‘Baccarat’ style.

The Art Deco “bulb” is round and made of chromed metal. You dispense the perfume by depressing the disc decorated with concentric circles.

The Marcel Franck manufacturer is based in France and has been producing luxury perfume atomizers since 1882. Leopold Franck founded the company after seeing the popularity of perfumes and the early atomizers.

His son Marcel took over the business in 1907 upon Leopold’s death. Marcel was able to engage major crystal companies like Baccarat and Saint Louis, and the best glass artists (Lalique, Galle, Argy-Rousseau, etc.) for the bottles. All the containers are made in crystal or mouth blown Murano glass. By using precious materials such as crystal, brass, gold, palladium, etc., he turned atomizers into works of art. The Marcel Franck company quickly received worldwide recognition denoting quality and luxury.

The company, sold shortly before Marcels’ death, disappeared in the late 1990s.

Bernard Dennery, grand-son of Marcel Franck, decided to revive the brand in 2013. He launched two collections: Home and Purse atomizers.

 

Souvenir Photo Book

A souvenir photograph set of famous sights of France was my last purchase. These were, and still remain, a popular keepsake. Generally inexpensive, soldiers would pick these up to send home to show the folks back home where they’d been and what they’d seen.

This collection of 20 photos is complete plus 1.  The plus 1 is a picture of a soldier.  I like to think this young man included his picture to show his family he was alive and well.

 

You never know what you’ll find when hitting a flea market. Happy Hunting!                Chris & Anthony (the Freakin’ ‘tequen Guys)

Sources:

collectingvintagecompacts.blogspot.com/2011/03/fillkwik-attleboro-avon-and-apli.html

marcelfranck.myshopify.com/pages/about-us