El Encanto

El Encanto department store in Havana, Cuba.

On April 13, 1961 a dreadful fire caused by the explosion of several terrorist bombs in chain stores reduced to ashes, perhaps most emblematic of Central America: El Encanto de La Habana. It was founded in 1888 by brothers Bernard Solis and Pepe as fabric store. In 1900 the Spaniard enters another company, Entrialgo, and the company would be renamed Solis and Co. Entrialgo El Encanto.

The El Encanto had a sister shop in Miami, Florida at the Roney Plaza Hotel at Miami Beach. 

El Encanto sold a variety of brand names such as Chanel, Le Clairac, Coty, Christian Dior, Lanvin, Myrurgia, Dana, Guerlain and many more. 

The name Le Clairac may not be well known today, but it was a major line of perfumery sold at El Encanto during the 1920s and 1930s. The Le Clairac crystal bottles were made in Czechoslovakia and are considered "cross collectibles" today, by those who collect perfume bottles in general and those who specifically collect Czech perfume bottles. The Le Clairac line had perfumes such as: Le No.5, Kismaju, Nuit Espagnole and Forbidden Love.

images: ebay seller collect-4-fun!