Parfum Numero Douze c1931

Parfum Numero Douze/Numero 12 by Lentheric: launched in 1931. The fragrance was later styled as Lentheric 12 in 1965.

Lentheric 12, was originally launched in 1931 as "Parfum No. 12" (Parfum Numero Douze). It was discontinued around 1960.

In 1967, Lentheric decided to relaunch the Numero 12 fragrance, now renamed Lentheric 12, which took three years to develop. I believe this accounted for reformulation to be brought up to modern tastes. DN "Paddy" Davies, Lentheric's president said that "Any perfume with a detectable flower fragrance is out, women want something more - well, for want of a better word- sophisticated than white violet or the romantic fragrances that were popular in the past. However, the whole world is more aware of smell than it used to be. Everything - skin cream, powder, detergents - everything is more highly scented."

The name "Lentheric 12" has an unconventional history behind it. It seems that Lentheric had commissioned 12 artists they claimed to be world famous, each to paint their idea of a beautiful woman. Lentheric said "Do this. Paint for us your perfect woman, your ideal of feminine beauty." The works ranged from Pop Art, primitive, surrealistic, Impressionistic, etc. were then assembled together in a quiet, long room overlooking the Seine. The perfumers were supposed to have been influenced by the paintings. And gradually, they created a perfume for the very being of woman in all her variable moods. And when they found it, they called it Lentheric 12.

The artists were: Pietro Annigoni from Italy who sketched a madonna with tender loveliness in crayon and wash, Helene Girod de l'Ain from France painted a portrait in her signature Impressionistic style, Peter Blake from England's portrait was executed in his usual Pop Art style, Salvador Dali from Spain added a surrealistic portrait of a swathed Venus, William Dargie from Australia painted his lovely 15 year old daughter Faye, Paul Davis from America painted his brunette wife Myrna, Franco Gentilini from Italy, Pierre Henry from France, Robert Ladou from France, Akbar Padamsee from India painted a timeless beauty, Bruno Saetti from Italy, and Ruskin Spear from England.

The name of the fragrance was also chosen for its simplicity. "You must have a name that can be understood in every language when you have an international product. Like our men's line Onyx. It's pronounced the same in every language and spelled the same," said Davies.

While the simple name may have had an unusual advertising gimmick and backstory, it no doubt was Lentheric's idea to retain the name.

European Launch:

Lentheric spared no expense to see that the campaign to launch the newest fragrance got off to a flying start. An international beauty press conference was held at Nice-Monte Carlo's Hotel de Paris, next door to the famous casino. Lentheric brought together a group of international newspaper and magazine journalists and advertising women from 18 countries and five continents including the USA, Canada, Britain, Western Europe, Russia and Australia to show off the new perfume. The total guest list soared to 150. Her Serene Highness, Princess Grace of Monaco, clad in Yves Saint Laurent, was on hand to share in welcoming the lucky guests along with Lentheric's chairman, Arthur F. Hurlstone, and Lentheric's president, DN "Paddy" Davies. The launch in Monte Carlo was masterminded by Algy Stranack of Neilsen McCarthy Public Relations.

The party visited the south of France to see where the raw materials originated. They toured the factory of the oldest essential oil house in Grasse, Antoine Chiris. The guests actually got to view how perfume is made. Guests were encouraged to stand in a cylindrical tank filled with violet leaves. These vats extract all the aromas from the flower and leaves. Harper's Bazaar editor, Elinor McVickar took up the challenge and stood ankle deep in the talk. The beauty editors smelled aromatic materials from every corner of the earth: roses and geraniums from Morocco, sandalwood from the tropical Pacific Islands, and pungent cloves from Madagascar plus other materials from Tibet, Siam and Argentina. 

At the party, guests sipped authentic French Champagne as a valets, dressed blue and gold in the fashion of Louis XVI, carried a bottle of the parfum atop a resplendent litter. The managing director of Charabot et Cie, M. Jacques Maison Diue declared that the perfume "is a symphony of seasons and moods," as smelling strips that had been dipped in the scent 12 hours earlier, were passed among the crowd. "On top are the delicate notes of spring - narcissus, orange blossom and rose. Below the summer scents of jasmine and tuberose, mixed with the woody notes of autumn, sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver and the warmth of winter - the amber, musk and civet."

North American Launch:

To introduce North America to the fragrance, the company gave 120 women's editors, fashion and beauty editors from newspapers and top fashion publications across the US and Canada a special press junket to acquaint them with the scent. AF Hurlstone, chairman of Lentheric, DN "Paddy" Davies, president and managing director of the House of Lentheric, Lee Smith, vice president and nine other members of the Lentheric company were in attendance along with the public relations office of Sydney Morrell, AL Williams the director of Bermuda's development program and his assistants Tony Marsh and Mrs. Marsh, and two representatives of Pan American Airlines spent the two days and one night making the trip one to remember.

Guests were flown to Bermuda for 24 hours for the premiere of the new fragrance amidst pomp and splendor. Two Port Authority ferries transported the guests from the airport to the island. The Bermuda Regiment welcomed the guests before the boat loads of visitors disembarked onto the quay. A six gun salute heralded the guests then the regiment sounded off six trumpets while a band of natives sang a song of welcome and added the distinct sounds of steel drums in the background. 

Lentheric arranged a Pan-Am charter flight to and from New York with champagne served in glasses designed especially for the occasion. In each hotel room, guests were greeted with a lovely bouquet of island flowers, an orchid for the evening and a straw basket embroidered with flowers of Bermuda. In the bath was an assortment of Lentheric products of course: bath powder, cologne spray, soap and bath oil. A souvenir bath towel was embroidered with the date 3rd October, 1967, Bermuda and in the corner were the guest's initials.

During the champagne party on the Princess patio, preceding the banquet, guests were treated to a spectacular fireworks display. Attendees were given an engraved invitation to a black tie dinner held in the Adam Room of the Princess Hotel. Seated at Davies' table were Bermuda's Governor Lord Martonmere, and a young artist and his wife from America. A major domo clad in a red coat, announced and introduced the governor who drank a toast to the visitors. The banquet included 

a never-ending flow of gourmet food, vintage wines. After the banquet was over, guests were invited to the nigh club at the hotel where they were given small hours entertainment by the French signer Jean Sablon, and his composer and accompanist who was flown over from Paris just to entertain the guests. At the end of the gala dinner around midnight, the guests were finally introduced to the new fragrance at the Princess Hotel Gardens. 

"Paddy" Davies unveiled two paintings just as he had done at the party in Monte Carlo. Davies said that "We wanted a perfume that would appeal to women the world over and the creators and blenders of perfumes needed very different impressions of femininity to work from. We commissioned the artists to put on canvas their impression of the most beautiful woman in the world. Those contributions included those of Annigoni who was commissioned to paint her Majesty the Queen, a picture shown in the summer exhibition of Royal Academy in 1955. And the vivid mind of Salvador Dali, who has certainly emerged as one of the great figures of 20th Century painting."

The original paintings were flown to Bermuda and the artists were invited too -however, only one showed up, Paul Davis. Davis, a young artist, was the only American artist contributing to the collection. Dali declined and replied that he was "crossing the Pyrenees on an elephant," however, guests were treated to a little Shakespearian message he scrawled on the back of the painting..."a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.."

Davies informed the group that the collection of twelve paintings had been insured in excess of $60,000 and would be exhibited in large stores in New York, Dayton and other cities in the United States for the next three months before it leaves the country for three or four months. 

At 8 am the next morning, guests had breakfast at the Tiara Room of the Hamilton Bermuda. A press conference was scheduled before a Mimosa Party and buffet luncheon on the Regency Terrace. 

"Paddy" Davies, explained why the cost of the perfume was so expensive. He said that the cost accounted for the labor force that hand plucked the flowers that made up the perfume, plus the cost of distilling the fresh flowers into scent. He said that Grasse, just 20 miles from the French Riviera, is a town of only 2,500 residents, but is where 90% of the perfumes of the world have their origin. He went on to say that its inhabitants have to gather two tons of rose petals are needed, for five pounds of "pure smell" (that makes each dab of perfume about two dozen roses). The roses should be gathered before sunrise, with morning dew still clinging to the blossoms. Jasmine must be cut soon after it opens, otherwise its odor is modified during the flowering and its yield lowered. Orange blossom has to be processed immediately after picking, before fermentation can set in.  

Attending the luncheon, was a "nose" flown in from Grasse, Jacques Masondieu. This was the perfume expert that blends the perfume from all the costly essences and fixatives. He said that " A perfume could contain 25 to 50 various absolutes and they could go up to $6,000 a pound." For example tuberose, in what the industry calls its "absolute" form, is $6,000 a pound (gold at the time, incidentally cost approximately $420 per pound). "In this way you have an idea why perfume costs such a lot and also remember that absolutes are even more costly than gold," said Davies. The guests sniffed raw materials that were passed around such as vanilla beans, jasmine petals, rosewood chips, jasmine blossoms, mimosa, ginger root, lemon peels and some of the expensive animal fixatives. 

 The new perfume was to be rolled out to Strawbridge & Clothier and John Wanamaker stores.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a soft, spicy oriental fragrance for women.  It is a rich, lush, full-bodied fragrance with top notes sharp with pungent verbena and zesty citrus peels followed by light, fresh notes of hyacinth and jonquil combined with lily of the valley, a sweet floral heart made possible by heady orange blossom and precious tuberose. Its richness, released by the warmth of its wearer, comes from a combination of spices, rose, earthy patchouli and grassy vetiver. The powerful residual notes, a bittersweet chypre base gives it great lasting qualities, consisted of a blending of tender jasmine with the notes of the balsams, amber, musk and civet.

• Top notes: narcissus, orange, lemon, lemon verbena, bergamot, hyacinth, jonquil, lilac
• Middle notes: orange blossom, herbs, spices, lily of the valley, tuberose, Bulgarian rose, jasmine
• Base notes: benzoin, amber, sandalwood, vanilla, resins, patchouli, oakmoss, tonka, labdanum, vetiver, balsams, musk, civet

Town & Country - Volume 94, 1939:

"And of course we could not mention the name Lentheric without recalling its genuinely popular standby, Numero Douze (No. 12)."

Bottles:

The earliest bottle is the one shown in this 1930s ad below for Parfum No. 12. It is a tall crystal column of square shape, topped with a thick black glass stopper. 

The other early flacon has a ridged stopper atop a tall, square column bottle similar to the one shown above. This bottle came in at least three sizes:

• 1/2 oz bottle stands 2" tall.
• 1 oz?
• 2 oz ? bottle stands 3.25" tall.

Druggists' Circular - Volume 81, 1937:

"Numero 12 Presented by Lentheric of New York City in a square flacon with a cube-shaped stopper in alternating tiers of frosted and clear crystal. The perfume is described as a pungent type of fragrance that is tantalizing rather than frank. It has a radiant springtime freshness, yet a formality that reserves its use for special occasions. It is priced to retail at $ 1.50 to $ 40.00."

 

In 1935, the most popular Lentheric perfumes were presented in a controlled bubble glass bottle, made in Czechoslovakia. This bottle can be found in different colors for different perfumes by Lentheric, rose for Lotus D'Or, green for Le Pirate, clear for Asphodele, and Numero Douze in amber. Bottle stands 4"  tall.

Drug and Cosmetic Industry, 1935:

"LENTHERIC'S Bubble Bottle comes in blue, clear, rose, amber or green. The glass is full of tiny bubbles and the whole bottle looks like one large bubble itself. Numero Douze, Miracle, Asphodele, and Le Pirate are the perfumes bottled in this way."

Bouquet Lentheric was a daytime perfumery product, in the nature of a toilet water or eau de cologne, and was distributed in the many different Lentheric fragrances. It was strongly recommended to splash it on the skin as a bracing, refreshing lotion and bath perfume for the hot weather season, also to counteract perspiration odor and relieve summer fatigue and drowsiness. It was said to give the wearer cool freshness, renewed daintiness and sparkling exhilaration.

In 1935, customers could have their Bouquet Lentheric scents bottled in beautiful Orrefors crystal bottles. This presentation was known as the "De Luxe Crystal Decanter." These amphora shaped decanters were wheel cut with a delicate floral pattern. Bouquet Lentheric Au Parfum was dubbed a "daytime fragrance" and was a double strength eau de cologne. The bottle came in two sizes: 4 oz and 8 oz. Bouquet Lentheric in these flacons was available in twelve different scents: Tweed, Gardenia de Tahiti, Asphodele, Le Pirate, Numero Douze, Foret Vierge, Shanghai, Lotus D'Or, Carnation, Au Fil de L'Eau, A Bientot and Miracle.

 

Lentheric 12 Version:

The later bottles for the Lentheric 12 concentrations can be distinguished by their gray caps and stoppers. The parfum flacon is topped with a chunky smoked crystal with a ground neck recess, under which fits a brass and plastic screw top, covering a dome shaped dauber-top. 

The 1965 version was available in the following:

• 1/4 oz Parfum originally retailed for $10.00 in 1967
• 1/2 oz Parfum originally retailed for $17.50 in 1967 
• 1 oz Parfum originally retailed for $30.00 in 1967
• 1/5 oz Parfum Spray originally retailed for $7.50 in 1967
• 2 oz Eau de Toilette originally retailed for $5.00 in 1967
• 4 oz Eau de Toilette originally retailed for $8.00 in 1967
• 8 oz Eau de Toilette originally retailed for $12.50 in 1967
• 2.9 oz Eau de Toilette Spray originally retailed for $10.00 in 1967

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown.