A Short History of the Powder Compact

Historical makeup is one of my biggest passions. As you will discover if you continue to read my blog, I love everyday objects and artefacts. Cosmetics, magazines, accessories -- all of it. It fascinates me how something as small as a cigarette case can "hold" a lifetime of stories and memories. Powder compacts are also one of those objects. You might think they exist in a more or less similar style today. However, I would like to show you just how remarkable they once were and maybe encourage you to continue your own research. This is just a brief taste of the history of powder compacts; there are many books and publications that approach the topic in a greater and more professional manner. I am just an amateur collector and lover of the subject -- so here we go!

Above: A 1950s Max Factor "Creme Puff" Powder advert, the powder is in production to this day.

https://powdercompacts.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/1950sadvertcremepuff.png

The history of powder compacts begins with the commercialisation of makeup in the late 19th century. In essence the compact is simply a container in which to store solutions that are not liquid. Anything from creams, pastes, gels and powders can be kept within it. One of the aspects that repeatedly draws my attention is the variety of shapes and forms that this seemingly mundane object has the potential to take on.

Below are examples of two powder compacts from the 1920s. The first is a finely ornamented silver-toned loose powder compact. It contains compartments for powder, rouge and even a small mirror. Its original feature is the finger ring at the end of an attached chain. This unique element combined with the detailed guilloche pattern and rose motif adorning the lid suggest that the compact was created with two roles in mind - to serve a functional purpose while also being a fashionable accessory. It calls to mind a Renaissance pomander, albeit without the diffusing scent, and exemplifies the unique practicality and innovation often seen in vintage accessories.

The second example is a late 1920s cardboard powder refill box. It would have been bought to refill an empty powder compact (perhaps something similar to the one described above), hence the less durable cardboard material. Nonetheless it has held up quite well! The illustration on the lid, probably hand-coloured, depicts a woman with a slightly Asian physique surrounded by a border of floral motifs. The name of the product, the Three Flowers Boudoir Compact Powder Refiller, is fitting to the portrayed scene. This "oriental" feel, a style in vogue in the early 1930s, was of course a Western appropriation of the culture. The product is by Richard Hudnut of New York, a company I have never heard of before, but which is described on the sellers Etsy website as follows:

Richard Hudnut began his career by making perfumes for his father's pharmacy in Brooklyn. He established his own pharmacy in New York City in 1892 and by 1900 his products were sold across the United States. One of his lines was Three Flowers and by 1930 Three Flowers powder, rouge, lipstick, face cream and even eyebrow pencils could be purchased.

The attention to detail on this disposable object is exemplary and I would like to subsequently focus on the powder puff, held by the seated figure, in the illustration.

https://powerofonedesigns.zibbet.com/vintage-compact-dance-purse-guilloche-compact-1920s-powder-compact-purse-rouge-compact-finger-ring-compact-purse

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/507950651/vintage-cosmetic-packaging-three-flowers?ref=market

The powder puff, an object rarely used in the same way today, was de rigueur in the 1920s and 30s.  The most luxurious of styles were made of swan or ostrich down. The video below shows the process of its manufacture. Much like the dual functionality of the finger-ring compact, this puff includes its own pouch, so it can be easily turned inside-out and stored safely in a lady's handbag. Today, the closest we have to this form of powder application is through the use of a typical make-up sponge, yet that cannot compete with the grande size and glamorous connotation of the original powder puff!

  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UFxjD9ZiMY

Film ID: 760.02

Let us now move forward a couple of decades to the 1950s. Below is an advertisment for Kigu powder compacts. The Hungarian-founded company, Kigu of London, became one of most well respected powder compact manufacturers in the world. Ultimately acquired by Laughton & Sons., it merged into its rival brand -- Stratton. At the height of its popularity, Kigu's product inventory contained extraordinarily unique and creative designs and catered to a variety of budgets.

Kigu's rival -- Stratton -- was a British brand of compacts which gained popularity through the introduction of the "convertible compact". Pictured below, convertible compacts could be used for both loose or pressed powder. In the photograph you can notice the thin, round, gauze-like shield. This was placed over the compartment, once it had been filled with loose powder, to act as a sieve. Alternatively, one could buy a solid refill (a bit like buying a single eyeshadow to put into your customisable eyeshadow palette) and place it within the compact to use without the sieve.

https://powdercompacts.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/1950s-kigu-compact-magazine-ad-james-walker.jpg

https://powdercompacts.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/imgp7542.jpg

http://www.bagthejewels.co.uk/ekmps/shops/bag_the_jewels/images/vintage-stratton-powder-compact-with-lipstick-holder-within.-rare-item-1950s-sold--[4]-1701-p.jpg

The compacts were often lavishly, or eccentrically, decorated and adapted. The square Stratton compact seen above, for example, features an additional lipstick holder.  Below the Stratton is another example that resembles a telephone dial! "Annie", the name on its lid, actually belongs to the actress Ann Miller (the compact was auctioned by Julien's in their summer 2009 sale). It was not uncommon to have one's initials or name embossed onto personal objects. From cigarette cases, lighters, pens, stationary and small leather goods, people would often place their initials onto the personal items they owned. This practice attests to the longevity of these items and the intimate bonds they held with their owners. Perhaps this is why owning a vintage powder compact or personal hand-written letter is a privilege that cannot be felt when dealing with items from the disposable culture of today.

The final example of a 1950s powder compacts is another Stratton product. Here I wanted to show the frequently reoccurring idea of a series. This compact features an image of a photograph by British photographer, Baron. Known for photographing performances of the ballet, Baron's images are frequently featured as the magical and feminine embellishments atop powder compact lids. Collecting one's favourite editions now becomes a buyer's desire and this practice is seen to this day. Just take a look at how often MAC collaborates with artists and celebritites to launch new limited edition lines of makeup products.            

http://www.julienslive.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/66/lot/24452/ANN-MILLER-PERSONALIZED-POWDER-COMPACT

http://www.antiquepeek.com/images/Compacts/Vintage_Stratton_Powder_Compact_Ballet_Dancers1%20-%20Copy.JPG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH35f0CrlvI

Film ID: 75.08  

The video above portrays the production of pressed powder makeup in a London factory in 1958. You can see the awe expressed at the innovative pressing machine as well as at the peculiar method of mixing multiple colours to create a universally matching shade. It seems very close to the colour correcting powders and concealers often advertised today!

With the advent of the 1960s many industries experienced changes in approach, due mostly to the emergence of the teenager, an independent potential customer, who is no longer interested in the seriousness of pre-war style, nor bound by the financial restrictions of the depression. Experimentation with colour and formula begins and heavier materials such as brass and silver are replaced by the modern feel of plastic. The rusty, tarnished powder compacts belonging to a girl's grandmother are no longer a desired object of inheritance but an obsolete symbol of elitism, age and limited female potential.

https://powdercompacts.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/max-factor-advert-womans-realm.jpg

In the above 1960s Max Factor advert one can see the "modern" approach in use. It portrays a group of women (female camaraderie -- thumbs up!) wearing clothes of a more practical nature (unlike the ball gowns and red lips frequently seen in adverts from previous decades) and emphasizes their busy lifestyles.

The third video I chose to add to this post is a 1972 documentation of working class women in a cosmetics factory near Surrey, England. It depicts women from the lower echelons of society performing monotonous tasks of filling bottles and packaging products. A misogynistic interviewer circles around asking questions about the tasks they perform. An at times humorous piece, the video is ultimately a testament to the difficulty experienced by many working in the seemingly glamorous cosmetics industry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2ID2-ojiig

Film ID: 3049.01

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/03/08/2674099700000578-2985469-image-a-8_1425854057029.jpg

Perhaps this is why there are constant attempts to bring back the glamour of earlier decades. Charlotte Tilbury, among many, has designed her products with a palpable connection to glamorous makeup of the past.  Lancome has also released their new "Cushion Foundation" (above photo). The product is sold in a simple plastic white compact, which can then be refilled with a new foundation-soaked-cushion-refill, once the original one gets used up. Although the new versions may not be as beautifully decorated as a vintage Stratton they are at least a nod to compacts of the past. And I did notice that last Christmas Boots offered a personalised engraving service -- we might in fact be closer to repeating history than one might think!

Related websites (leave a comment if you have any other interesting suggestions):

The British Compact Collectors' Society http://www.compactcollectors.co.uk

Compact Mirrors & Powder Compacts by Jane Vanroe https://powdercompacts.wordpress.com

Compactstory - a blog all about powder compacts http://collectingvintagecompacts.blogspot.co.uk