The first industrial exhibitions

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 The development of the cosmetic industry encouraged the professionals to make their new production more attractive and to participate in the few national exhibitions that were organized at the time. Admittedly, since 1798, the products from the French industry had been presented in Paris, but not on a regular basis. It is not until the years 1820-1830 that exhibitors specialized in cosmetics participated in these national-scale industrial exhibitions. However, perfumery was not under the limelight yet. The 1839 jury, comprising Thenard, Brongniart, Chevreul, D’Arcet, Gay Lussac and Payen, consecrated chemistry. Soaps were still the focus of everybody’s attention.

 

The Louvre Courtyard during the National exhibition of French industrial products 1801.   © BnF / Source : Gallica.

The first Universal Exhibition of London 1851. Exposition universelle de 1851. Travaux de la commission française sur l’industrie des nations … Paris: imprimerie impériale, 1855.   © BIU Santé Pharmacie : cote 12886.

Washerwomen. Les Laveuses (1851), par Jules Vogel. (lettre de Chaptal) © BnF / Source : Gallica.

César Birotteau, the famous perfumer of the Balzac novel (1837). Illustration from: Honoré de Balzac, Oeuvres complètes: La comédie humaine … Paris: Houssiaux, 1863. Illustration de Bartall (1820–1882), gravure de Brevière.   Source : Wikimedia.

A cosmetic handbook. Horace Napoléon Raisson. Code de la toilette, Manuel complet d'élégance et d'hygiène … par l'auteur du code civil. Paris: J.-P. Roret, 1828.   BIU Santé Pharmacie : cote RES 212335.

Before the ball. Horace Napoléon Raisson. Code de la toilette, Manuel complet d'élégance et d'hygiène … par l'auteur du code civil. Paris: J.-P. Roret, 1828. This document is freely available BIU Santé Pharmacie : cote RES 212335.