Storage of spirits

Experts of this improbable storage located on small streets of Versailles even recreated from the formula which is accidentally found in a box of an ancient table, cologne which was produced on Saint Elena's island for Napoleon banished there. Thousands of perfume which seemed dissolved with time fog were restored to life thanks to Osmoteke. These aromas applied on paper stripes transfer us to forest glades of the homeland or at the time of their first emergence on the perfumery stage. The intoxicating Blue Narcissus from Mury (1920), nostalgic Christmas Night from Caron (1922), sensual Russian Leather from Chanel (1924), magnificent Crepe de Chine from Millot (1925)... And it is only the few from them!

Osmoteka also does justice to pioneers of the perfumery industry. Louis-Toussaint Piver, one of such innovators, left us Crimson Clover (1896) full of such freshness which did not lose the relevance and today. Another, Francois Coty, created the well-known Jacqueminot Rose (1903) which forced buyers of Bon Marche department store to lose the head because of his elegance and grace.

Paul Poiret became the first couturier who "poked" into perfumery. Its aroma Parfums de Rosine possesses the same energy, originality and carelessness, as well as its fashion. One breath of its seductive Arlequinade (1924), for example, forces us again and again to bring a paper stripe to a nose again to enjoy this smell. Other couturier, Jacques Fath, excites feelings refined accents of thin Grey Iris (1947). This list can be continued and continued. It will be unfair to mark out only equally charming and surprising creators, few among a large number. In Osmoteka all "aristocracy" of perfumery is presented. In a dynasty Guerlain there were only four perfumers since 1828 - Jacques Guerlain, for example, created aromas for 70 years, - all of them were members of one family and still inspire others by the sure combination of traditions and innovations.

The modern era in perfumery began with the invention of synthetic ingredients at the end of the 19th century. In 1882 Houbigant took the first careful step with aroma of Royal Fern, based on the coumarin synthesized by Perkin; Aime Guerlain released Jicky in 1889, using synthetic vanilla from Reimer. Eventually, in 1921 Ernest Beaux created world famous Chanel No. 5 with a courageous dose of aldehydes which in small amounts were used by then in many aromas. However use of synthetic materials and from recognition is two different things. Many perfumery companies absolutely freely began to apply them in the compositions. Others, using mistrust of some people to all new, continued to create aromas completely from natural ingredients, mainly rare. As a result, "the most expensive aroma in the world" charged to Henri Almeras to create Jean Patou. The flower bouquet of Joy showed that correctly used chemical components can replace the purest natural essences completely.

"Musk", the fine story by Percy Kemp, describes alarm of one dandy when he learned that his favourite cologne will not be done of natural musk any more. Monsieur Aimé, the main character, goes to shop to redeem the last party of still natural composition. This crisis develops in the story in parallel with fear of an old age. "While the image of its aroma remains stable, constant, renewable, - the author writes, - he does not notice the bald head, wrinkles, hands with venous asterisks, knotty joints and round-shouldered gait. And he thinks that it do not notice also others while it carries perfume with the same smell and the same fragrant form". (Expression "a fragrant form" ("olfactive shape") was for the first time used by Edmond Roudnitska, the brilliant creator of Eau Sauvage from Dior, in his book "L'Esthetique en Question" where it describes the material nature of aromas recognized for the trained "nose" as the face of the familiar person.) Reaction of monsieur Aimé is not unique; many people feel more freely and quietly under "protective aura" of the familiar aroma.

Force of olfactory perception to awaken associations and old memoirs, allows each fragrant essence to create the own world immersing us in our personal kingdom of impressions and images, harmonies and desires. Manipulating our most intimate feelings, the perfumer becomes the architect of emotional space, the artist on an imagination canvas, the sculptor on intangible material which works at the deep level of perception.