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Saturday, January 4, 2014

Dralle's Illusion & Rieger's Flower Drops Perfumes

DRALLE:

Dralle perfumery was established by George Dralle in Hamburg Germany. The company produced many French-created presentations.








In 1894, they introduced the perfume Augusta-Victoria-Veilchen.

The most successful of these was "Illusion", created in 1908. Their direct competition was Rieger's "Flower Drops", which employed basically the same approach. Both perfumes were very concentrated flower essences without alcohol in different fragrances.

Dralle advertised that Illusion was the most costly perfume in America and "that a single drop goes further and keeps the fragrance longer than many that are apparently less expensive" and that "the woman who uses Dralle's finds herself in company with the most exclusive in Europe as well as in America. Dralle's is accepted as one of the secrets of the society woman's charms".

The perfume came in a 3ml cut glass vial with an elongated dauber housed in a turned and polished 2 piece wooden case resembling a stylized lighthouse. There was also a rare very detailed lighthouse case made up of silverplated metal. In the 1960s, the cases were made up of a foamed Polystyrol thermoplastic (polystyrene) which looked similar to wood. Several scents were sold under the Illusion name.

Illusion originally retailed for $1.50 for most scents and $1.75 for Violet and Astra.

 The perfumes of Dralle's Illusion:
  • Lilac
  • Rose
  • Lily of the Valley
  • Narcissus
  • Heliotrope
  • Chypre
  • Wistaria
  • Violet
  • Astra
  • Muguet
  • Poppy
  • Ylang Ylang
  • Syringa
  • Reseda
  • Trefle
  • Orchidee
  • Clover Blossom
  • Colibri
  • Eau de Cologne
  • Narcisse Colibri
  • Hawaii
  • Lavender
  • Jasmine



The perfumes of Dralle (not including Illusion scents):

  •  1852 Lilionese
  • 1886 Lily of the Valley
  • 1887 Eau de Cologne
  • 1889 Malatine Skin Crème
  • 1889 Antiseptic Birch Water
  • 1890 Violet Tina Parum
  • 1894 Pyrola
  • 1894 Augusta-Victoria-Veilchen (using synthetic Violet scent)
  • 1900 Parfum Violettina
  • 1909 Dralle
  • 1911 Heliotrope
  • 1911 Milagro
  • 1911 Lilac
  • 1911 Narcissus
  • 1911 Lily of the Valley
  • 1911 Wistardia
  • 1911 Nelky
  • 1919 Mustapha Pacha Kamel
  • 1920 Ora e Sempre
  • 1920 Chypre Dralle
  • 1920 Paeonia
  • 1920 Sphinx
  • 1920 Tula
  • 1924 Jasmine
  • 1924 Lilas
  • 1924 Ylang Ylang
  • 1924 Muguet
  • 1924 Violette
  • 1924 Orchidee
  • 1924 Trefle
  • 1924 Reseda
  • 1924 White Violet
  • 1924 Weilcher Violet/Weiser Violet
  • 1928 Lilac
  • 1928 Rose
  • 1928 Sunflower/Sonneblum
  • 1928 Violets/Veilchen
  • 1928 Flieder
  • 1930 Florida Poppy
  • Syringa
  • Narcisse
  • Narcisse Colibri
  • Heliotrope
  • Hawaii
  • Chunpaflor
  • Colibri
  • Lavender
  • Mami Water
  • Milagro






Rieger:


Paul Rieger & Co. 161-165 First Street, San Francisco. Established 1872. Incorporated 1898.

In 1897, like some other retailers of the period, Rieger's added a paper label to their bottles celebrating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, the 60th year of her reign.


  • SA Rieger, President 
  • George W Lamb, Vice President 
  • William Rieger, Secretary Treasurer and General Manager 
In 1906, the Paul Rieger establishment where the perfumes were manufactured was completely destroyed by the California earthquake. 



Rieger's Flower Drops was the 1910 creation of Paul Rieger of San Francisco, CA. Flower Drops came in a small glass vial with a elongated dauber.



Rieger's Flower Drops were advertised as the "soul of the flowers"and lasting "50 times as long as ordinary perfumes" and "the rarest and finest perfume ever produced. One bottle holds all the delightful fragrance crushed from thousands of living blossoms.The acme of elegance and refinement-entirely different from any other perfume you have ever known."

The regular sized vials were about 3ml and retailed for $1.50, sample sizes were available for 20 cents.

The choice of odors available was:
  • Violet
  • Rose
  • Lily of the Valley
  • Wonderful
  • Esprit de France
  • Temptation


Flower Drops wasn't the only perfume that Rieger produced:
  • 1895 California Lilac 
  • 1895 Menlo Violets
  • 1895 Robin Adair
  • 1895 Santa Barbara Heliotrope
  • 1902 Ramona (a sweet pea perfume)
  • 1903 Manzanita
  • 1903 Bride Elect
  • 1903 Cala Flora 
  • 1903 California Apple Blossoms 
  • 1903 California Breezes 
  • 1903 California Clover 
  • 1903 California Crimson Rose 
  • 1903 California Lupine
  • 1903 California Meadow Queen 
  • 1903 California Mignonette 
  • 1903 California Orange Blossom 
  • 1903 California Purple Orchid 
  • 1903 California Red Rose 
  • 1903 California Violet 
  • 1903 California Wild Flowers 
  • 1903 California Wild Olive 
  • 1903 California Wild Rose 
  • 1903 Coronado
  • 1903 Francisca
  • 1903 Golden State Violet
  • 1903 June Roses
  • 1903 Mariposa Lily
  • 1903 Palo Alto Carnation Pink
  • 1903 Palo Alto Pink
  • 1903 Pasadena Rose
  • 1903 Pink Violet
  • 1903 Reiger's Old Glory
  • 1903 Rosemere
  • 1903 San Jose Violet
  • 1903 Shasta Lily
  • 1903 Stanford Violet
  • 1903 Sunset Violets
  • 1903 The Pasadena Rose
  • 1903 Yosemite Blossoms
  • 1903 Yosemite Valley Bouquet
  • 1903 Los Angeles Blossoms
  • 1904 Crab Apple Blossoms
  • 1904 Heliotrope
  • 1904 Lavender
  • 1904 Lilac
  • 1904 Peau d'Espagne
  • 1904 Sweet Margery
  • 1904 White Rose
  • 1905 Royal Cherry Blossom
  • 1905 Shasta Daisy
  • 1906 Royal Cherry Buds
  • 1908 Queen Isyl
  • 1908 Castilian Rose
  • 1909 California Ideal
  • 1911 Flower Drops - Crabapple
  • 1911 Flower Drops - Rose
  • 1911 Flower Drops - Violet
  • 1911 Flower Drops - Lily of the Valley 
  • 1912 Flower Drops - Jasmine
  • 1912 Flower Drops - Orange Blossom
  • 1912 Flower Drops - Lilac
  • 1912 Flower Drops - Carnation Pink
  • 1912 Flower Drops - Heliotrope
  • 1912 Flower Drops - Wistaria
  • 1912 Flower Drops - Narcissus
  • 1912 Geraldine Farrar
  • 1913 Anemonie
  • 1913 Aristocracy
  • 1913 California Flower Girl
  • 1913 California Magnolia
  • 1913 California Poppy
  • 1913 Copa de Oro
  • 1913 Crimson Gardenia
  • 1913 Dolores
  • 1913 Exposition 1915
  • 1913 Floral Crown
  • 1913 Floral Wreath
  • 1913 Flower Drops
  • 1913 Full Dress
  • 1913 Garden Bloom
  • 1913 Golden Poppy
  • 1913 Helen Pink
  • 1913 Idalia
  • 1913 Inspiration
  • 1913 Japanese Peach Buds
  • 1913 Madam X
  • 1913 Manitoba Anemone
  • 1913 Mon Amour
  • 1913 Mon Desir
  • 1913 Panama-Pacific, 1915 
  • 1913 Portola Bouquet
  • 1913 Prima
  • 1913 Prima Donna
  • 1913 Sunset
  • 1913 Sunset Lilies
  • 1913 Taxi
  • 1913 1915
  • 1914 Cabaret
  • 1914 Chantilly
  • 1914 Chantilly Lilac
  • 1914 Cherry Blossom
  • 1914 Garden Queen
  • 1914 Merry Widow
  • 1915 Myat
  • 1915 Paramount
  • 1915 San Los
  • 1915 Selika
  • 1915 Sweet Kiss
  • 1916 White Rose
  • 1918 Alcazar (the Spanish Perfume)
  • 1920 Violet
  • 1920 Honolulu Bouquet
  • 1920 Mystery
  • 1920 Romanza
  • 1922 Alice Brady
  • 1922 Countess Spencer
  • 1922 Francette
  • 1922 Jazirimba/Jazarimba
  • 1922 Parfum Rienzi
  • 1925 Al Sirah (Alsirah)
  • 1925 Golden Narcissus
  • 1926 Parfurn Rahna (The Persian Perfume)
  • 1926 Parfum Rienzi 
  • 1933 Hollywood Bouquet
  • 1933 Black Velvet
  • 1933 Adorable
  • 1933 Mystic Sight 
  • 1933 Monte Carlo 
  • 1933 Carnation
  • 1933 Chypre
  • 1933 Fontenay
  • 1933 Du Charme
  • 1933 English Lavender
  • 1933 Entré Nous
  • 1933 Ideal
  • 1933 Le Monde
  • 1933 Malolo
  • 1934 Samarkand 
  • 1933 Mignonette
  • 1933 Parfum Chiffon
  • 1933 Secrets
  • 1933 Smart Set
  • 1933 Sweet Peas
  • 1934 Persian Night
  • 1935 Fascination
  • 1935 Esprit de France
  • 1935 Gardenia
  • 1935 Admiration
  • 1948 Fragrant Breeze
  • Luxury
  • Mardi Gras


Of no relation that I can find, William Reiger of Frankfort on Main, Germany sold various perfumes, soap and other toiletries.

The ads shown below are from a 1893 Marshall Field's catalog.





The perfumes of William Rieger:
  • 1860 Bouquet Caroline
  • 1860 Bouquet de Fauborg St Germain
  • 1860 Essence Bouquet
  • 1860 Foutaines de Flore
  • 1860 Frangipanni
  • 1860 Genet de Or
  • 1860 Jockey Club Bouquet
  • 1860 New Mown Hay
  • 1880 Spring Flowers
  • 1880 Violette
  • 1883 Bouquet du Rhin
  • 1883 Lilas Blanc
  • 1890 Parzival
  • 1890 Violet
  • 1893 Nirvana
  • 1893 Nirvana White Heliotrope
  • 1893 Rienzi
  • 1893 Violettes de Parme
  • 1893 Weisser Flieder (white lilac)
Parzival was a line of toiletries and perfume.

c1893 ad from Marshall Field's catalog


















1 comment:

  1. What a fascinating blog. I've just purchased a vintage Rieger's perfume bottle and original cardboard tube. No perfume but it was once 'Violet'. It was wonderful to so easily find the history of the company and pictures of the product when it was new! Thanks!

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