Parfums Raffy

Parfums Raffy was established in 1918 by Marcel J. Raffy, a Franco-American (1901-1934), of 156 East 45 St. New York.

c1930 ad

Interesting note: Raffy was an American company for which Marcel sought to suggest French origins, even so much as to using false Parisian addresses for export to the USA. 

He was subsequently sued by French perfumers association for having used a fictitious Paris address.

Used false addresses such as 6 West 28th St, NY; also Parisian address; such as 82 rue Lafayette, Paris and 21 rue Beranger, Paris

I believe that there may have been some sort of connection to Marcel Raffy and Parfums Massenet. Massenet launched Rhapsodie in a similar bottle.

American Druggist - Volumes 85-86, 1932:

"Raffy- The tenth anniversary celebration offer of Raffy Parfums includes several offerings such as dusting powder in this hinged, hammered silver effect jewel case, toilet water in a graceful bottle and perfume.."

The New Yorker, 1926:

"RAFFY, a comparative newcomer in the perfume field here, has placed on sale at all the big shops some new perfumes which are more than a little individual. Particularly recommended is the "Tour d'Eiffel," in a black and gold bottle modeled exactly after that monument. This you will enjoy whether you go mad about the perfume or not. The other two are "Adam and Eve" and "Parfum X." All to my mind exceptionally good."

The perfumes of Marcel Raffy:

• 1919 Rhapsodie
• 1920 Royal de Raffy
• 1920 Sweet Pea
• 1923 Adam et Eve (a floral perfume)
• 1924 Parfum X
• 1925 Bel Amour
• 1925 Bouquet de Monte Carlo
• 1926 Gardenia Bleu
• 1926 Tour d'Eiffel
• 1927 Voici Paris
• 1927 Lilac 
• 1927 Chypre
• 1927 Narcisse
• 1927 Muguet
• 1927 Jasmin
• 1927 Orchidee
• 1927 Gardenia
• 1927 Rose
• 1927 Sweet Pea
• 1928 Parfum Futuris
• 1929 Les Rubis
• 1929 Melodie
• 1929 Rapsodie, relaunch
• 1930 Secret de Satan
• 1930 Oro
• 1930 Shanghai
• 1930 Parfum R
• 1930 Tulipe
• 1930 Paris Folies
• 1930 Nuit Bleue
• 1930 Encens Oriental
• 1931 Futuris
• 1931 Parfum Riche
• 1934 Petals of Brittany
• 1938 Sensation
• 1941 Leda
• Risqué
• Seduction

Gallery of Perfume Bottles:

Parfum X:

Launched in 1924. "This new fragrance, fresh from France, takes its lovely scent from the inspiration of Marcel Raffy, compounder of the exquisite "Adam et Eve." The new odor, of mysterious name, has set the world to guessing what its component parts may be - so illusively captivating is it. The woman who wears it first wins double charm by its really refreshing odor and the pleased puzzlement she will cause. In  bulk at $5.00 per ounce, or in original bottles at $1.50 and $3.50."

Shanghai:

The beautiful bottle used for Shanghai is arch shaped and molded with a mirror image of mythological creatures. The frosted glass bottle has an opaque black glass stopper. The bottle stands 3 7/8" tall by 3 1/4" wide.

The bottle was designed by Julien Viard and manufactured by Depinoix. This bottle was originally used by Ysiane in 1927 for their perfume Saturnale, which was rebranded Shanghai by Raffy and released in 1930. When used by Raffy, the Raffy name will be molded into the base.

Chypre:

One of the bottles used for Chypre was made up of clear glass molded with a rippled texture that resembled tree bark. It has a little glass stopper with a centrally placed button with evenly spaced ribs radiating downwards. The bottle has a small round embossed gold paper label. The bottle stands 4" tall and 2 5/8" wide. It originally held 2 oz of extrait (parfum) in various scents: Chypre, Sweet Pea, Orchidee, and Jasmin. The bottle was housed in a golden, rectangular presentation box that features the same label on the bottle.

Voici Paris:

The bottle for Voici Paris is clear glass, disk shaped and has a molded malachite green slag glass flower stopper. It came in two sizes. The bottom of the bottle is marked RAFFY.

Gardenia Bleu:

This beautiful bottle was created by Andre Jollivet. Bottle was used for other Raffy perfumes such as Melodie. The bottle is made of clear glass with a bell shaped base, with a figural stopper of a singing Pierrot molded out of vivid electric blue glass. The bottle stands about 5.25" tall.

Adam et Eve:

The bottle used for the Adam et Eve parfum  is made up of opaque black glass and features a small button shaped black glass stopper with a cork plug. The front of the bottle has an embossed gold foil label down the center. The bottle was housed in a triangular shaped presentation case or rectangular boxes.

The bottle was available in four sizes:

• 16 oz? Largest $10.00
• 8 oz? Large $5.00 size
• 4 oz? Medium $3.00 size
• 2 oz? Miniature $1.50 size

• 2 oz perfume
• 4 oz toilet water
• 8 oz toilet water




• The Largest size Eau de Toilette bottle stands 6" tall x about 3.75" wide.
• The Large size ($5.00) bottle stands 5.75" tall.
• The Medium size bottle stands 3.25"tall x 2.25" wide
• The Miniature Perfume bottle stands 2.5" tall

A gorgeous jade green opaque glass bottle was used for the talcum powder, it has a Art Deco starburst motif on the front with a gold foil label in the center. This bottle stands 5" tall.

Adam et Eve was available in other toiletries too: bath salts, cold cream, face powder, rouge, compacts, vanishing cream and lipstick.

Gardenia:

Narcisse:

This beautiful perfume bottle has a long, graceful neck and a wide, bulbous base enhanced with molded details of ribbing. It has a domed glass stopper. The bottle stands approximately 9" tall and 3 1/4"wide at the middle of the bas. It has an embossed gold foil label with the Raffy name and the perfume name Narcisse on a separate label underneath. The bottle is unmarked as to manufacturer. I believe that this bottle may have been used for other scents by Raffy such as Sweet Pea, Chypre, Gardenia, and Jasmin.

Rapsodie/Melodie:

 The shell shaped bottles are very charming and were used for the Eau de Toilettes. The bottle was made in France by H. Saumont and held various scents: Gardenia, Melodie, Rapsodie, Jasmin, Sweet Pea, Chypre and Jasmin.

The bottle was made in two versions, each has a different stopper style and design.

The fiery opalescent glass stopper, has an ornate scrolling design along the rim with one large circle in the center which reminds me of a pearl, which goes along with the shell theme of the bottle. The green glass stopper features a scroll design around the rim with four large raised circles in the center.

The bottle was available in three sizes:

• 4 oz with an opalescent stopper
• 8 oz with a green glass stopper
• 16 oz with a green glass stopper

Sweet Pea:

This square crystal bottle has a large electric blue frosted glass stopper molded with an abstract floral motif. The bottle stands 4" tall x 2" square and has a simple foil label, it is unmarked as to manufacturer. I believe that this bottle may have been used for other scents by Raffy such as Narcisse, Chypre, Gardenia, and Jasmin.

Parfum Riche:

Parfum Riche: This is the re-branded fragrance 'Petals of Brittany' by Riviere.

Parfum Riche, photo by Rago Arts

Oro:

Parfum Royal:

Parfum Royal was contained in a cut crystal Baccarat bottle. This is very rare to find and even rarer to find with it's presentation box as shown below. I believe that this bottle was also used for the perfume Paris Folies, Jasmin and Chypre by Raffy (a 1930 advertisement mentions that these perfumes are contained in a Baccarat flacon, this is the only known Baccarat flacon used by Raffy).

Petals of Brittany:

 The bottle used for Petals of Brittany is trilobed and is made up of frosted glass. It almost resembles a butterfly with outstretched wings. The frosted glass stopper is molded with "Petals of Brittany>" The bottle stands 3" tall and is not marked as to manufacturer. The perfume was originally named Petals of Brittany by Jules Riviere, but rebranded Parfum Riche by Marcel Raffy.

Petals of Brittany, photo by ebay seller irene7908

Tour d'Eiffel:

The Tour d'Eiffel perfume was housed in an actual Eiffel Tower shaped bottle. The perfume retailed for $25 in 1926.

Federal Trade Commission Decisions - Volume 19, United States. Federal Trade Commission, 1936:

COMPLAINT IN THE MATTER OF RAFFY PARFUMS, INC. 

COMPLAINT (SYNOPSIS) FINDINGS AND ORDER IN REGARD TO THE ALLEGED VIOLATION OF SEC 5 OF AN ACT OF CONGRESS APPROVED SEPT 26 1914:

Docket 2114. Complaint, Sept. 13, 1933. Decision, July 23, 1934. 

Where perfumes composed in France had had for many years a widespread popularity and there had been and was a substantial demand and preference among large numbers of the public for perfumes composed in and imported from said country, which usually displayed the words "Paris and France" in addition to the name of the French manufacturer on the labels of the bottles and display boxes in which sold; and thereafter a domestic distributor-

Labeled perfumes composed from concentrates produced in the United States from essential oils imported from France and other foreign countries, and not composed in France, from concentrates made of essential oils in France with such words and legends as "Adam - et - Eve - Marcel Raffy -Paris," and beneath in smaller letters, "New York"; "Jasmin Extra Fin - Raffy - Paris"; "Chypre Extra Fin - Raffy - Paris"; "Encens Oriental - Raffy - Paris"; and "Futuris -  Raffy - Paris"; and "Nuit Blue - Paris";

With effect of misleading and deceiving retail dealers and members of the public into believing said perfumes to have been composed in or near Paris and imported into the United States, and into purchasing same in reliance upon such belief in place of products of competitors, in fact so composed and imported, and in place of those composed in the United States and so labeled and represented and result of diverting trade in perfumes to said corporation from competitors many of whom import and sell throughout the United States in the bottles and display boxes in which received, perfumes composed in or near Paris, and many of whom sell perfumes composed in the United States, and so labeled and represented; and with capacity and tendency so to mislead, deceive, and divert. 

Held, That such practices, under the circumstances set forth, were all to the injury and prejudice of the public and competitors and constituted unfair methods of competition. 

Mr Edward E Reardon for the Commission 

Mr Benjamin Siet of New York City for respondent.

SYNOPSIS OF COMPLAINT: 

Reciting its action is the public interest pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Commission charged respondent, a New York corporation engaged in New York City in the manufacture of perfumes, toilet waters, and cosmetics, and in the sale thereof to wholesale and retail dealers throughout the United States from its factory and principal place of business in said city, with misbranding or mislabeling as to source or origin of product, in violation of the provisions of Section 5 of such Act, prohibiting the use of unfair methods of competition in interstate commerce. 

Respondent, as charged, engaged as aforesaid in competition with those dealing in the domestic products and those importing such products from France, uses labels with such trade names and legends on bottles and containers of its preparations as, "Encens Oriental Raffy Paris", "Voici Paris Raffy Paris", "Chypre extra Fin Raffy Paris", "Jasmin Extra Fin Raffy Paris", and "Gardenia Raffy Paris", notwithstanding fact none of said products are made or compounded in Paris; with capacity and tendency to mislead dealers, and the purchasing and consuming public (many of whom buy the long widely popular perfumes made in France and imported there from in preference to the products of other countries) into the belief that respondent's said products are made or compounded in said city, and induce the purchase thereof in reliance upon such erroneous belief, and thus divert trade to respondent from competitors, to their injury and prejudice and that of the public. Upon the foregoing complaint, the Commission made the following 

REPORT FINDINGS AS TO THE FACTS AND ORDER: 

Pursuant to the provisions of an Act of Congress approved September 26 1914 (38 Stat 717), the Federal Trade Commission issued and served a complaint upon the above named respondent charging it with the use of unfair methods of competition in commerce in violation of the provisions of said act.

 The respondent having filed its answer herein, hearings were had and evidence was thereupon introduced in behalf of the Commission and the respondent before an examiner of the Federal Trade Commission duly appointed.

Thereupon this proceeding came on for a final hearing on the brief filed on behalf of the Commission, no one appearing for the respondent, and the Commission having duly considered the record and being fully advised in the premises finds that this proceeding is in the inter est of the public and makes this its findings as to the facts and the conclusion drawn therefrom: 

FINDINGS AS TO THE FACTS: 

PARAGRAPH 1. The respondent, Raffy Parfums, Inc., is a corporation, incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, and since the date of its incorporation it has been engaged in the business of the sale of perfumes in New York City.

PAR 2. Charles P. Andrae is and has been the vice president and secretary of the respondent, Raffy Parfums, Inc., since its incorporation.

PAR 3. From the date of its incorporation until on or about October 1933 the respondent sold its entire output of perfumes throughout the United States through the sales agency of Charles P Andrae, above mentioned, who did business under the name Andrae Sales Company. In or about October 1933 the Andrae Sales Company was organized as a corporation under the name Andrae Sales Corporation. The sale of the respondent's products has been conducted by the Andrae Sales Corporation and its predecessor, the Andrae Sales Company, since the incorporation of the respondent on or about April 5, 1932, and during all said times the respondent through its said agents has been engaged in the sale of perfumes in interstate commerce to retail dealers throughout the United States for resale by the said dealers to members of the public for use or wear. The respondent during the above times has caused the perfumes so sold by it to be transported from New York City, NY, to into, and through other States to the retail dealers above referred to.

PAR 4. Perfumes are generally a conglomeration of odors and are produced in the form of concentrates from essential oils. The basic ingredients from which the essential oils are derived come from various parts of the world, principally from the south of France, the French colonies, and from other parts of the world, such as China, Italy, and Africa. The best and most expensive essential oils are produced in France and the concentrates from essential oils are usually produced from a great many basic ingredients, sometimes from as many as 40 to 60 different ingredients.

PAR 5. The center of the French perfume industry is and has been for very many years located in or near Paris, France, and many of the largest French producers of perfume have and have had for very many years their places of business in Paris, France.

PAR 6. The perfumes composed in France have had for very many years a wide spread popularity in the United States and there has been and is now a substantial demand, among large numbers of the public throughout the United States who use or wear perfume, for the perfumes composed in and imported from France rather than for the perfumes composed in the United States or in other countries.

PAR 7. There are and have been since long prior to the incorporation of the respondent many other individuals, firms, and corporations, located in the United States, some of whom are and have been engaged in the importation and sale of perfumes from France to retail dealers located in the various States and some of whom are and have been engaged in the business of the composing of perfumes in the United States and in the sale of such perfumes to dealers therein located in the various States of the United States, and all of whom have, respectively, caused the perfumes so sold by them during said times to be transported from the State or origin of the shipment to, into, and through other States to the purchasers, the said retail dealers. The respondent is and has been in substantial competition in inter state commerce during said times with the other individuals, firms, and corporations above referred to.

PAR 8. The perfumes sold by the respondent during the above mentioned times are and have been composed from concentrates produced in the United States from essential oils imported from foreign countries, including France. The respondent does not import and has not imported perfumes that were composed in France from concentrates made of essential oils in France.

PAR 9. The respondent during the times above mentioned has sold its perfumes in bottles, generally of from 1 to 4 ounces in size and in boxes containing such bottles. Among others the respondent sold a perfume which was labeled "Adam"-"et"-"Eve"-"Marcel Raffy"-"Paris", and beneath in smaller letters the word "New York"; a perfume which had on the bottle label the words, reading from top to bottom, "Jasmin"-"Extra fin"-"Raffy"-"Paris"; a perfume which had on the bottle, label reading from top to bottom, the words "Chypre"-"Extra fin"-"Raffy"-"Paris"; a perfume which had on the bottle, label reading from top to bottom, the words "Encens"-"Oriental"-"Raffy"-"Paris" and perfumes which had on the bottle labels, reading, respectively, from top to bottom, the words "Futuris"-"Raffy"-"Paris" and "Nuit"-"Blue"-"Paris".

PAR 10. Among the individuals, firms, and corporations, referred to in paragraph 7 hereof, are many who import perfumes from France that are and have been composed in or near Paris, France, and the perfumes so imported are and have been sold to retail dealers, department stores, specialty shops, druggists, and wholesale dealers throughout all the United States, usually in the packages in which they are received from France consisting of bottles of perfume in sizes of from one quarter ounce to 32 ounces, contained in display boxes in which the bottles of perfume are sold. Such perfumes usually have on labels on the bottles and display boxes in which they are sold, the words "Paris" and "France" besides the name of the French manufacturer. 

PAR 11. There are among the competitors of the respondent in the sale of perfume in the United States many who sell perfumes composed in the United States and who do not represent their products to have been composed in France.

PAR 12. The respondent's use of the word "Paris" in labeling and advertising its perfumes, as above set out, has the capacity and tendency to mislead and deceive retail dealers and members of the public who purchase perfumes for use or wear and it has misled retail dealers and members of the public into believing that respond ent's of said perfumes were composed in or near Paris, France, and imported into the United States, and in reliance upon such belief into purchasing the respondent's perfumes in place of perfumes of respondent's competitors which were composed in or near Paris France and imported from France into the United States and in place of perfumes of respondent's competitors which were composed in the United States and so labeled and represented, and trade in the sale of perfume was thereby diverted from respondent's competitors to the respondent. 

PAR 13. The respondent's acts and practices above set forth have the capacity and tendency to mislead and deceive the public and to divert business to respondent from its competitors and they have misled and deceive the public and diverted trade, as above set forth, to the injury and prejudice of competitors and of the public.

CONCLUSION - The practices of the respondent, under the conditions and circumstances disclosed in the foregoing findings, are all to the injury and prejudice of the public and of respondent's competitors and constitute unfair methods of competition in commerce and are in violation of an Act of Congress approved September 26, 1914, entitled "An Act to create a Federal Trade Commission to define its powers and duties and for other purposes."

ORDER TO CEASE AND DESIST - This proceeding having been heard by the Federal Trade Commission upon the complaint of the Commission, answer of respondent, testimony, and evidence introduced, upon the brief of Commission's attorney; and the Commission having made its findings as to the facts and its conclusion that the respondent, Raffy Parfums, Inc., has violated the provisions of an Act of Congress approved September 26, 1914, entitled "An Act to create a Federal Trade Commission to define its powers and duties and for other purposes."

It is now ordered, That the respondent Raffy Parfums, Inc., its agents and representatives, in connection with the sale or the offering for sale of perfumes in interstate commerce between and among the several States of the United States and in the District of Columbia do -

Cease and desist, From representing by use of the words "Paris" and "France", or either of those words on the labels on bottles or other containers or on any part of the package in which perfume is offered and sold or in any other way, that perfumes composed in the United States or elsewhere and sold or offered for sale by respondent are composed in Paris or in France unless and until such shall be true in fact. 

It is further ordered, That the respondent Raffy Parfums, Inc., shall within 30 days after the service of this order file with the Federal Trade Commission a report in writing setting forth in detail the manner and form in which it has complied with this order to cease and desist.