Snob by Le Galion, launched in 1937, was a fragrance that radiated the intrigue and opulence of the era. The very name, "Snob," evokes a sense of exclusivity, sophistication, and perhaps even a little bit of playful arrogance. The word itself comes from the English language, though it has roots in the French and was popularized during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It’s pronounced "snawb," and it generally refers to someone who is overly concerned with social class, wealth, or status—someone who seeks to distance themselves from those they deem of "lower" social standing. The word evokes images of socialites, well-dressed women and men gliding through society's highest circles, and a certain sense of self-importance or pretension. It’s a word laden with connotations of luxury, elitism, and, often, a playful disdain for the common or the ordinary.
The year 1937 was a moment of transition. The world was in the midst of the interwar period, a time of recovery and change after the Great Depression and just before the tumult of World War II. In Europe, the scent of glamour and decadence lingered in the air, as the 1920s "Roaring Twenties" culture had given way to a more subdued, yet equally opulent, 1930s. The Art Deco style was at its peak, influencing fashion, architecture, and design. Women’s fashions, for instance, were becoming more elegant and refined, with sleek lines, bias-cut dresses, and luxurious fabrics. Fashion icons like Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Jeanne Lanvin were defining the era’s sensibilities, with emphasis on sophistication, restraint, and an understated kind of wealth. This was a period when wealth and status could be flaunted, but in a more polished, controlled manner.
For women of the time, a perfume named Snob would have carried an aura of allure. It spoke to women who lived in the world of high society, women who understood the value of elegance and exclusivity. In the context of the 1930s, the word "Snob" may have been interpreted as a badge of honor—something that expressed the wearer’s elevated position within the social hierarchy. A woman who wore Snob would have been seen as confident, well-versed in the arts of luxury, and unafraid to indulge in her own desires. The fragrance would have appealed to the woman who wanted to project a sophisticated, worldly persona, perhaps even a touch of elitism, in a time when society was still very much divided along class lines.
