Krystyna Spark

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.

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.

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.