1900 Perfumery Counter: Gellé Frères In Paris

Sublime perfumer's counter from the beginning of the century, circa 1900. The condition is impeccable, there is absolutely nothing to complain about, the furniture is perfect. It comes from the Gellé Frères establishment in Paris. Dimensions: 130 cm (L) x 52 (D) x 82 (H) Gellé Frères France is a French company in the field of perfumery and cosmetics. It was founded in 1826 in Paris. In 1826, brothers Jean-Baptiste and Augustin Gellé inherited the formulas from Jean-Louis Fargeon, Marie-Antoinette's master perfumer, and opened a boutique in Paris under the name "Parfumerie savonnerie Gellé Frères". In 1827, the house manufactured its products in La Chapelle where it had an eau de Cologne warehouse. In the Firmin Didot directory of 1850, it is indicated: “Gellé Ainé et Cie, former house of Gellé Frères, inventors of the regenerator to stop hair loss, inventors of the Zouave cream, to dye the beard, the mustache, sideburns. Factory renowned for its superior quality products (…) toilet soaps. 35 rue des Vieux-Augustins, near Place des Victoires”. In 1855, the company changed its name to “Gellé elder & Cie”; a new factory is inaugurated in Neuilly-sur-Seine and the catalog displays products that have participated in different exhibitions (Paris 1849, London 1851). In 1870, the factory was moved to Levallois-Perret, then a prestigious store was opened on avenue de l'Opéra. In 1878, Gellé Frères manufactured its first raw toothpaste. The Directory includes the company in the “distillers” section: “Gellé Frères, notable merchants, silver medal at the Exhibition of 1867. Distillers of flowers and aromatic plants, improvement process for the manufacture of clove essences, sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver and rosewood. 35 rue d’Argout. Steam factory in Levallois-Perret. The brand gained notoriety by partnering with Jean Carlu for the design of the posters and the actress Mistinguett for its promotion. On January 1, 1885, Paul Lecaron, grandson of Jean-Baptiste Gellé, became director-owner of Maison Gellé Frères. He takes over from his father Emile, associated with his brother Maurice Lecaron. When the latter died in 1907, Paul Lecaron brought his nephews André and Robert into the company. At this time, Gellé brothers participated in the Universal Exhibitions, as well as the International Exhibitions of modern decorative and industrial arts where she received numerous prizes (Barcelona 1888, Paris 1889, Moscow 1901, Hanoi 1903, Brussels 1910). From 1970 to 1980, the company developed a line of beauty care products under the direction of Michel Pointet and his wife, a couple of pharmacists. In 1981, the Gellé Frères Beauty Institute on Boulevard Haussmann opened. Gellé Frères belonged to the company Ipsocos in 1993. In 2005, ownership of the brand was transferred in 2015 to the company Luxembourg Mythic Flora Technology (3 bld du Prince Henry). Relaunched by Simon Ménard in 2014, the new company Gellé Frères France opened a store in Paris at the beginning of 2016.